Revenge
by PattiL61
Summary: Chapters 57 - 61 (CONCLUSION) now up. Thanks for all the feedback. I hope you enjoyed the story.
1. Chapter 1

Revenge  
  
Chapter 1  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well, you're in a good mood again today," Faith said to her partner as he didn't even make a comment about the out of town driver that had just cut him off.  
  
He smiled, "Nothing can ruin this day."  
  
"Did you see Trish again last night?" Faith asked him, already knowing the answer.  
  
"Yup. And this morning - if you know what I mean," he answered, glancing over at her with a mischievous look.  
  
"Wow, Bos. I'm impressed. That's what - like three nights this week? Is it getting serious, or is it just the great sex?" she asked him as they pulled up to the scene of their call.  
  
"Ouch!" he commented. "THAT was uncalled for."  
  
"Uh huh," Faith replied with a grin.  
  
He threw the car into park and grabbed his hat as he opened the door. He looked over at her before getting out. He didn't say anything. He just winked and got out, closing the door behind him.  
  
"Hmmm," Faith thought to herself as she followed him.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Okay, Sir. What seems to be the problem here?" Bosco asked as he approached the old man who was arguing with a customer.  
  
"The problem, Officer, is this guy. Every day he comes into my store and looks around. Never buys anything. Just stands here all day looking through my magazines. This isn't a library! I'm trying to make a living here," the old man complained.  
  
"Alright, Sir. Why don't you come over this way with me and I'll take down some information," Faith said, walking the store owner over to the register area of the store, leaving Bosco to talk to the other man.  
  
"So, what's the deal?" Bosco asked the young man. He just shrugged.   
  
"I just want to make sure before I buy," he replied sarcastically.  
  
"What's your name?" Bosco said, losing his patience a little at the man's attitude.  
  
"Richards. Paul Richards," the man answered as he noticed Bosco's partner glance over to check that her partner was safe.  
  
"Look, Mr. Richards. I don't know what the deal is, but it's pretty obvious to me that this guy doesn't want you in his store. There's plenty of other stores around here. Why don't you find another one to do your reading in and save us all a lot of wasted time."  
  
Bosco didn't pick up on the man's look as he glanced over to check on Faith's safety. He looked back at Richards, waiting for an answer.  
  
"Look, you don't want to get pulled in for trespassing over something like this, do you Paul?" he asked him, lightening his tone and hoping to avoid having to do any paperwork for something this minor.  
  
+++++++++  
  
"Mr. Dumas. My partner over there is going to talk to this guy and get him to leave your store. Is that good enough for you?" Faith asked the irate storeowner.  
  
"Every day he's in here for a week. He just looks through the books - never buys anything. I'm getting a bad feeling about this guy," the man said.  
  
"I know, Mr. Dumas. I understand. If we're able to reason with this guy and he leaves it should be all settled. If he comes in again, we'll arrest him for trespassing, okay?" she told him.  
  
The man sighed heavily. "Okay, just get him out of here. He's trouble. I can tell just by the looks of him."  
  
"Okay, Sir. It looks like that's exactly what my partner is doing now - getting him out of here. You have a good day, Sir. And you call us if you have any more trouble, okay?"  
  
"Yes, Officer Yokas. Thank you very much," Mr. Dumas replied as he watched Bosco walk the man toward the door.  
  
++++++++++  
  
"Alright, Officer. You've convinced me. I'll take my business elsewhere," Richards answered, loud enough for Mr. Dumas to overhear.  
  
"What business?" Dumas answered back. "Maybe if you buy something once in a while I wouldn't mind...," he said, as Faith stepped between Mr. Dumas' line of sight of the man in order to discourage any further interaction between the two men.  
  
"Thanks, Sir. And have a good day," Bosco said to Mr. Richards as he exited the store and walked across the street to the coffee shop.  
  
Bosco reached for his radio, "Central, 55-David is 10-98. All parties have been advised."  
  
"55-David, 10-4 that you're 10-98. We're holding a call for a suspicious vehicle just down the street from you," Central responded back.  
  
He looked at his partner as they went back to their patrol car. "No rest for the wicked," Faith said as she got in the passenger side and wrote down the address the dispatcher gave them.  
  
"You have no idea," Bosco said with a smile and Faith rolled her eyes as Bosco put the car in drive and pulled away - unaware of Paul Richards watching him from the coffee shop across the street as he drove away.  
  
"Don't remember me, eh, Officer Boscorelli," he mumbled to himself. "That will all change soon enough," he said, as he threw a dollar on the counter for his coffee and walked out, headed in the same direction as Faith and Bosco.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	2. Chapter 2

Revenge  
  
Chapter 2  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Tell Central that we'll take that suspicious vehicle," Sully said to Ty as they pulled up on the scene from their call around the corner.  
  
"Central, 55-Charlie's right here at Arthur and 102. Advise 55-David that we'll take it," Ty advised the dispatcher.  
  
Ty looked over at Sully as the dispatcher acknowledged and then relayed the message to Bosco and Faith. "YOU'RE covering calls for Boscorelli?" he said with surprise.  
  
"Don't start with me, Junior," Sully said jokingly as the two got out of the RMP.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Sully's taking a call for us?" Bosco said in amazement as they pulled to the curb to finish the paperwork from their previous call just around the corner from the suspicious vehicle call.  
  
"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Bos," Faith admonished him as she began writing up the report.  
  
"Yeah, well, while you're writing, I'm gonna go make a phone call," Bosco said as he gestured toward the phone booth.  
  
"Uh huh," Faith said absently as she concentrated on her report.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Paul Richards slowed his pace as he saw the police car slow and then pull to the curb. He continued slowly as he watched Bosco get out of the car and head over to the phone booth. He walked by without being noticed and rounded the corner to where he'd left the car. He saw two other officers handling the call. They were talking to the woman who'd called in the suspicious vehicle and one of them was just starting to walk over to check out the car.  
  
"So, someone else is doing your work for you, eh Boscorelli?" Paul Richards said to himself. "Well, this ought to get your attention," he said as he reached into his pocket and felt for the button. He took a step into the doorway of a store and pushed the button just as the officer was about ten feet away from the vehicle as the explosion took place.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^  
  
"So, what's on the agenda for tonight?" Bosco asked Trisha.  
  
"Oh, I don't know. I thought maybe we'd stay in tonight. I don't want to make you spend all your money," she replied in a playful tone.  
  
"Oh yeah? No ulterior motives?" he said, letting some feigned disappointment show in his voice.  
  
"Now, Maurice. You're not suggesting that I might let you have your way with me, are you?"  
  
"Well, maybe if I play my cards right, you'll let me have MY way with YOU," he said as he heard and felt the concussion from the explosion. "What the hell?!" he exclaimed as he turned toward the RMP to check on Faith, still not sure exactly where the explosion had come from.  
  
"Maurice? What was that? Are you alright?" Trisha yelled into the phone.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I'll call you back later," he said, hanging up the phone as she told him to be careful, never hearing it.  
  
"Faith?" he called to her as she got out of the RMP and looked over at him.  
  
"Where did that come from?" she asked him as the radio crackled to life with an excited voice.  
  
"10-13, 10-13! My partner's down at Arthur and 102. Start EMS and fire for an explosion and car fire at this location. Repeat 10-13!" came the transmission and Bosco and Faith were running toward him before the officer was done with his call for help.  
  
Faith keyed her radio and said, "55-David, Central. We're around the corner and responding to Charlie's location on foot."  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
TBC... 


	3. Chapter 3

Revenge  
  
Chapter 3  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Faith and Bosco rounded the corner and took in the scene before them. The sound of sirens were heard in the background, signaling that help was on the way.  
  
"Sully! Davis!" Bosco called out as he and Faith looked frantically around the scene through the thick, black smoke. People were running everywhere and the heat from the fire was intense.  
  
"Over here! Bosco, over here!" came a voice. Faith and Bosco followed the sound, looking for signs of danger while moving toward it.   
  
"Ma'am, get over across the street. EMS is on the way and they'll help you. Sir, help this lady across the street," Faith ordered as they made their way toward their fellow officer's voice.  
  
"Sully? Where are you hurt?" Bosco said, coming up from behind Sully. That's when he saw him. Davis lay unconscious, cradled in Sully's arm, blood coming from a wound to his head. There were small cuts about his hands and face from the shards of glass and metal from the exploding car. Some of the glass was still lying in the folds of Sully and Davis' jackets.  
  
"It's not me. It's Davis. Help me move him away from this fire," he said to Bosco. Bosco maneuvered to Davis' feet and they carefully lifted him and carried him across the street just as the gas tank of the car exploded, sending people scattering further away. The sirens indicated that help was just about to them and Bosco looked around for his partner.  
  
"Faith!" he yelled as he started back across the street to make sure that Faith hadn't been injured in the latest explosion.  
  
"I'm okay, Bos. I'm right here," she answered him from the same side of the street. She'd been helping others that were injured. "How is he?" she asked, indicating Davis as the arriving firefighters, medics and police officers went about the task of helping the injured and dousing the flames.  
  
Doc and Carlos approached Sully. "Sul? Let me take a look at your arm," he said and Sully noticed the gash on his arm for the first time.   
  
"I'm okay. It's Davis. Help Davis," Sully said, pushing Doc in the direction of Ty, who was still unconscious. Carlos knelt down next to his friend and started assessing him. He put a cervical collar on him and Doc readied a backboard in case there was injury to his spine from the force of the explosion. Sully hovered just behind Doc, anxious about his partner's condition.  
  
"Sully. Come over here. Let them take care of him," Faith said gently, taking Sully's arm and guiding him away. She tried to get him to sit down, but he didn't want to have Ty out of his sight even though he was being taken care of by the best.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Paul Richards walked away from the fire scene in a calm fashion, which should have signaled something right away to the trained eyes of the police. But, they were occupied in trying to help the injured and worrying about their fallen brother. So, no one noticed his nonchalant manner. No one noticed the sick, twisted grin on his face.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Excuse me, Sir," said the quiet-mannered man at the front desk of the 55th Precinct. Lieutenant Swersky was on the phone. He held up a finger to indicate to the man that he'd be right with him.  
  
"Yeah, Okay. How's Sully?" asked the Lieutenant in to the phone and listened to the reply.  
  
"Okay, Yokas. You and Boscorelli get in here and get the paperwork started. We heard from the Arson Squad and they definitely found evidence of an incendiary device. Did anyone get hold of Davis' mother? Okay. Have Olsen stay with Sully and Davis and get back in here. The Brass wants to know what's going on and you need to let the Detectives know anything that might be helpful. Tell Olsen to keep us posted on Davis and Sullivan," finished the Lieutenant before hanging up.  
  
"Yes, Sir. What can I do for you?" the Lieutenant asked the man before him.  
  
"I just needed to drop this office for Maurice Boscorelli. He told me he was working today and that I should leave it here for him," said the man.  
  
"Well, he's on his way in. Do you want to give it to him yourself?" the Lieutenant asked.  
  
"Um," said the man, looking at his watch. "Actually, I'm gonna be late for work as it is. I'll just leave it with you if that's okay," he said with a smile.  
  
"Sure. No problem. I'll give it to him as soon as he gets here. Can I give him your name?"  
  
"It's in the note. Just tell him Paul dropped it off for him," said Richards, who then turned to walk away as the phone rang again.  
  
The Lieutenant answered the phone and gave the man a distracted wave as he involved himself in the call. Paul Richards calmly walked out of the stationhouse and into the night.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
"You sure you're okay?" Sully asked his partner as he put on the clothes that Officer Olsen had brought over from his locker at work for him. The doctors wanted to keep him overnight, but he'd decided that he could be more comfortable at his mother's house than in the hospital.  
  
"Yeah. Just a bad headache. It's just a concussion and a few cuts and scrapes, Sul," he said.  
  
"Yeah, well. A couple of more steps and it'd be a different story. Your Mom pissed at me?" Sully asked.  
  
"Nah. She knows it was just the luck of the draw. I could have been the one talking to the complainant while you checked out the car and I'd be standing here looking like a mother hen hovering over you," Ty said sarcastically as he tried to move around Sully to get the rest of his things.  
  
"Funny. I'm just worried is all," Sully said.  
  
"I know, Sul. But, I'm fine. I just want to get home and get some sleep," Ty said as Nurse Proctor walked in.  
  
"Not too much sleep I'm afraid. Remember, someone has to wake you up periodically to make sure your concussion isn't getting worse," she reinforced to him.  
  
"Oh, don't worry. I won't be sleeping tonight anyway," came Maggie Davis' voice behind the crowd. "I'm not letting him out of my sight for the next 24 hours."  
  
"Hey, Mom. I'm ready to get out of here," Ty said, standing up a little too quickly and requiring Sully to steady himself against.  
  
"Whoa," Sully said. "Go slower, Man."  
  
"Definitely. Want me to drive?" he joked as they walked out into the hallway.  
  
"Well, I was hoping that blow to the head might have straightened out that sick sense of humor, but I guess it wasn't meant to be," Sully said, leaving the nurse chuckling as they moved out of earshot.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
"Boscorelli! Someone dropped this off for you," called the Lieutenant as Faith and Bosco entered the station.  
  
"Did they leave a name?" Bosco answered as he took the envelope from the Lieutenant.  
  
"Uh, yeah. Paul or something. Said you told him to drop this off here. He couldn't wait, because he was late for work or something - sounds like he'd be one of your friends," the Lieutenant said with sarcasm.  
  
"Ha, ha," Bosco said as he opened the envelope while following Faith up the stairs to the office to start the report.  
  
Faith turned around to talk to him and noticed that he'd stopped halfway up the stairs. "Bos?" she said. "Everything okay?"  
  
He shook his head no and put the letter on the desk so as not to cause anymore damage to any fingerprints that may be on the paper. Faith leaned over and read the note:  
  
"Boscorelli,  
  
You really should be doing your own work instead of letting your fellow officers take the hit for you. That explosion was meant for you. I missed this time, but don't worry. I'll try again.  
  
Revenge is Sweet"  
  
Faith looked at her partner. "Bos. We've gotta tell the Lieu," she said, walking down the stairs, leaving Bosco to stare at the note and get a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Davis got hurt by a bomb that was meant for him. Thank God he didn't get hurt too badly, but who the hell was after him and for what?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	4. Chapter 4

Revenge  
  
Chapter 4  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So, do you have any idea who this Paul might be, Boscorelli?" asked the detective.  
  
"No. I already told you. I can't think of anyone I know by the name of Paul," Bosco answered, swallowing down the last of his cold cup of coffee. Faith came back into the room and Bosco looked over at her for information.  
  
"I talked to Sully. He's on his way back to the house," Faith said to everyone in the room.  
  
"How's Ty?" Bosco asked her as he stood up to pace again.  
  
"He's okay. Sully just dropped him and his Mom off at her house. The doctor wouldn't discharge him unless someone was gonna be with him," she told him. She noticed his tension had risen since she'd been out of the room. He hid it well, but she could always tell.  
  
"Bos, he's gonna be okay. He's got a concussion and a some stitches, but he's gonna be okay," she reinforced to him. He nodded and continued to pace.  
  
"Boscorelli, have you had any run-ins recently with any perps? Someone in your apartment building? In a store somewhere? Piss off some girl? Hell, did you flip anyone off in traffic?" asked the detective, grasping at any scenario to figure out who this 'Paul' might be.  
  
Bosco shook his head. "No. Nothing. I can't think of anything like that happening," he said, as the coffee cup shattered in his hand. Everyone jumped at the sound, thinking that he must have cut his hand. Luckily, the cup was empty and he, surprisingly, didn't have a scratch. He bent over to pick up the pieces off the floor and threw them roughly into the garbage.  
  
"Okay," Lieutenant Swersky broke in, sensing Bosco was at his breaking point and ready to lose his temper. He knew how upset Bosco was at someone else getting hurt by something meant for him. "Boscorelli, Yokas. Take your meal break, finish up any paperwork and get back on patrol. If you think of anything or we need you, we know where to find you." Bosco and Faith looked at each other. Bosco took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he ran a hand through his hair.  
  
"Okay, Lieu. Let's go, Bos," Faith said, putting a hand on his arm and turning him toward the door. The Lieutenant and the detective watched as they left.  
  
"Lieutenant...," started the detective, but Swersky just shook his head and interrupted him.  
  
"Look. I know my officers. I know that Boscorelli is more worried about Officer Davis right now, and anybody else that this jag-off might be targeting just for kicks. Let him get a meal, finish up his paperwork, and take a breath. Maybe if he gets to relax a little, he'll remember something."  
  
"But...," started the detective again.  
  
"No. That's it. I'll call you when he gets back in. Officer Sullivan should be here in a couple of minutes and you can talk to him about anything he might have noticed from the scene," the Lieutenant said, dismissing the detective and walking out of the room toward his office. He stopped in the hallway and looked on as Faith and Bosco were talking in the hallway. It was evident that Faith was trying to calm him down and get him more focused. If anyone could do it, he knew she could. He watched as the two partners grabbed their things, advised the desk sergeant they were heading back to patrol, and walked out of the house.  
  
Lieutenant Swersky walked into his office to hear the phone ringing. "Lt. Swersky," he answered into the phone. He sat down at his desk and began answering questions for the Brass.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Paul Richards watched from across the street in a darkened vehicle. He had a pair of binoculars and chuckled at the stress evident on Officer Maurice Boscorelli's face.  
  
"What's the matter, Boscorelli? Can't remember who I am? Don't worry, it'll come to you, I'm sure," he said to himself as he watched Faith and Bosco get in the car and head down the street.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Faith let Bosco drive because she knew it relaxed him. Besides, she was starting the paperwork from their earlier calls - before all this crap had happened. They had been driving around for a few minutes when Bosco's cell phone began ringing.  
  
"Dammit!" he said as he fished the phone from his pocket. Faith looked over at him and he noticed her look as he opened the phone. As he pushed the button to answer the call, he told Faith, "I never called Trisha back."  
  
"Boscorelli. Hi. Yeah. I'm sorry. Things just got a little crazy. No, I'm fine. Some car exploded around the corner from where I was when I was talking to you. One of our guys got hurt a little. What? No, she's fine," he said, looking over at Faith. "It was Ty Davis. He's okay, I guess. Just a concussion and some cuts," he told her.  
  
Faith glanced over at her partner without him noticing and she saw the relaxed look on his face while he was talking to this girl. She smiled slightly and went back to her work, trying not to listen to his conversation, but not really being able to avoid it.  
  
"No. Probably not. I'm not gonna be done here for a while. I gotta talk to the detectives about thi...," he said, stopping suddenly. He didn't want her to worry about him so he didn't want to give her too many details to make her suspicious.  
  
"What? Well, because we were right around the corner when it happened. They want to know if we saw anything. Plus, I want to see if I can check up on Ty when I'm done, so it'll be really late. I'm sorry," he said to her and listened as she told him that she'd wait up for him.  
  
"Are you sure, Trish?" he asked her. "Alright. I'll try not to be too late. No, I'm getting something to eat now with Faith. Okay. I'll tell her that you say 'hi,'" he said, looking over at Faith.  
  
"Hey," Faith said loud enough for Trisha to hear her.   
  
"Yeah, she wants to meet you too, I'm sure," Bosco said, laughing. "Yeah, we'll do it soon. Okay. Gotta go," he said. "Yeah, me too," he said quietly into the phone and Faith tried not to laugh as he hung up and put the phone away.  
  
He looked over at her staring at him. "What?!" he said with mock irritation.  
  
"Nothing. I'm hungry. Can we please go get something to eat now that you're done whispering sweet nothings into your girlfriend's ear," she said, acting irritated right back to him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	5. Chapter 5

Revenge  
  
Chapter 5  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bosco got off the elevator and headed toward Trisha's apartment. It was late - past 2:00 a.m. - and he wasn't sure he should come over this late. She'd said she would wait up, but he didn't think he'd be this late. After he'd finished his shift and talked to the detectives again, it had been too late to try and go see Ty. He went out to Haggerty's with a couple of the guys just to have a drink and take the edge off before he went to see Trisha. He didn't want to tip her off that something was wrong and he knew if he went over there right after work, as tense as he was about the day's events, she'd know something was up.  
  
So, he had a drink and wondered whether he should call her to see if she was still awake. He didn't want to wake her up, but he didn't want to be alone tonight either. So, he'd decided to use the key she'd given him just that morning. He drove over to her apartment building and locked up his car. He looked around - he'd been doing that a lot since he'd received the note from "Paul." He headed up the stairs and into the building.  
  
And now, here he was outside of her apartment, key in hand, not sure if he should go in or not. He'd been standing there for about five minutes debating it when his cell phone rang. He grabbed it quickly so as not to disturb anyone along the hallway.  
  
"Boscorelli," he said quietly into the phone and was greeted with a familiar voice.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Trisha watched him pull up in front of her building. She was starting to get worried, but she knew he said he'd be late. She didn't want to seem too pushy, but she sensed something in his voice earlier and was worried. She watched him as he looked over his shoulder and until he got close enough to the building and she couldn't see him anymore and waited for him to open the door. He didn't and then she started to worry that he'd gotten mugged in the hallway somewhere. She went over to the door and looked through the peephole and saw him standing there. He was looking at his watch, as if he wasn't sure if it was too late or not.  
  
She picked up her phone and dialed his number, watching him try to answer it quickly through the door. He answered the phone and she didn't make a sound right away.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Boscorelli," he repeated into the phone, turning to look over his shoulder.  
  
"Are you going to stand out there all night, or are you going to come in here? My nosy neighbor is probably ready to call the cops about now - she doesn't miss a thing," Trisha said to him in a light tone of voice.  
  
He smiled and said, "I wasn't sure you'd still be up."  
  
"I told you I'd wait. I'm a woman of my word," she said, opening the door for him. He hung up his phone and stepped inside, thinking how great it was to have someone waiting for him on the other side of the door when he came home from work.  
  
"Hey," he said simply, pushing the door closed with his foot and she stepped into him and he embraced her.  
  
"Hey yourself. I missed you today," she said, walking him over to the couch. "Hungry?" she asked him and he shook his head as he sat down and let out a long sigh, some of the tension easing.  
  
"Nah. Faith and I ate dinner. I'm just beat," he said, leaning his head back on the couch and closing his eyes.  
  
"Poor Baby," Trisha said. "Everything okay?" she asked, trying not to pry.  
  
"Yeah, just a long shift," he answered.  
  
"How's your friend, Ty?" she asked him as she massaged his tense shoulders and felt him begin to relax.  
  
"Okay, I guess. He's got a concussion. I didn't get over to see him because the detectives kept me and Faith a long time," he said, not realizing she'd pick up on that.  
  
"Why?" she asked him as she stopped massaging his shoulders.  
  
"Why what?" he said in return.  
  
"Why did you have to talk to the detectives for so long? You weren't even there when the car exploded, right?"   
  
"Right. It's just standard stuff, Trish. It was one of our guys. We all want to get the guy that hurt one of our guys," he said, trying to minimize it for her.  
  
"Oh. You mean if it was just me that got blown up, you all wouldn't try as hard?" she teased him and was startled as he sat up quickly.  
  
"Don't say that," he said abruptly. "Nothing's gonna happen to you," he said, realizing that he'd startled her a little. "Sorry," he said. "I'm just beat. Maybe I should just head home and start fresh tomorrow."  
  
"Why don't you just stay here," she offered. "I don't think I want you driving while you're this tired," she added, holding out a hand to help him up off the couch.  
  
"I'm really beat. I won't be great company," he warned her.  
  
"Look, you're warm, right?" she asked him and he nodded. "So I don't want small talk, just keep me warm."  
  
He took her hand and stood up. They faced each other, very closely. Bosco put his right hand on the left side of her neck and traced her jawline with his thumb. He leaned in and kissed her and was rewarded with a return of the kiss. "Thanks," he said as they broke the kiss.  
  
"C'mon. I'll tuck you in," Trisha said and they walked to the bedroom. They got into bed and he was asleep before his head hit the pillow. She just watched him sleep for a short time and listened the soothing rhythm of his breathing. She curled up next to him and fell asleep to that sound.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*  
  
Paul Richards sat in his apartment and re-played the tape from the 6:00 news. It showed the remains of the burned out car, the firefighters doing some final clean-up. There were cops all over the scene and he smiled again as he caught sight of Boscorelli in the background talking to one of his superiors.   
  
He thought about it, and wished he'd been a fly on the wall when Boscorelli opened the letter up back at the precinct. He wondered if he'd made him nervous or if he'd remember him yet.  
  
He picked up the picture that sat on the table alongside him and looked at it for a moment. He put the picture down and re-wound the tape to play it again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
His form tossed and turned in the bed, so restless that he should've woken himself up. But, he continued to thrash about, mumbling, sweating, reaching out. Finally, he woke himself with his shout.  
  
"SARAH!" he shouted, sitting up in bed. He looked around the darkened room, sweat pouring down from his temples and down his back and chest. His t-shirt clung to him and he took it off. He got up and walked across the room, opening the window on his way to the bathroom. The cool breeze coming through the window made goose bumps raise on his skin, and he shivered as he reached for the light switch inside the bathroom doorway.  
  
His hand paused at the switch as he noticed his reflection in the mirror, illuminated in the moonlight. After a moment, he flipped the switch and the room was illuminated in the yellow/white light. He stepped closer to the mirror and looked carefully at his face as he grabbed the towel to wipe away the streaks of sweat. Only he saw the faint scars on his face, the final result of several reconstructive procedures to put his face back together. The surgeon had done an excellent job. He should have for the amount of money he charged. Not that he paid for any of it. The bills for his medical care and reconstruction were footed by the City of New York. He looked at the hard expression in the mirror - the dark green of his eyes the only recognizable feature of his face left.  
  
If only the doctors could have done more for her - his precious Sarah. She was only eight years old - so young - too young to be snatched away from him like that. And then, he remembered seeing his other daughter and his wife, Amelia, lying in the caskets next to Sarah. Over the next few years, he'd been unable to pull himself from his despair. Oh, he'd tried various psychiatrists and therapies, but nothing seemed to help him. Over time, he'd stopped talking and working - living off the settlement from the City. Now, he just walked around the City - a shell of his former self.   
  
He took the glass and filled it with cold water from the tap. After drinking it, he took one last look in the mirror and turned off the light. He walked over to the window and looked out at the quiet street below. No one was out this late. He turned and walked back to his bed, climbing in and closing his eyes. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep again, but he just laid there, eyes closed, memories of his wife and daughters playing at the park in the sunshine running through his brain.  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
Trisha felt him moving alongside her. She opened her eyes and looked over at him. She saw the light sweat on his forehead, the frown on his face. He was very restless and she wondered whether she should wake him up or let him go. She watched him for a moment and he quieted, the frown disappearing.   
  
She snuggled closer and fell back to sleep.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
The sun shone through the bedroom window and he felt the warmth on his face. He opened his eyes and saw her next to him, sleeping peacefully, and he watched her.   
  
"If you keep staring at me, I'm going to get a complex," she mumbled with a smile.  
  
He smiled also and she lifted her head and leaned over to lightly kiss him.  
  
"G'morning," he said with a smile as he sat up and swung his legs around, putting his feet on the floor.  
  
"Good morning to you too," she answered, sitting up as well. "Sleep well?"  
  
"Yeah, thanks," he said, pulling on his sweats and sitting back down. She reached over and pulled the waistband, releasing it and delighting in the snapping sound it made as it sprung back against his waist. He jumped.  
  
"Ouch!" he said, jumping up and smiling. "What was that for?"  
  
"That? Oh that was just a love tap," she told him, standing up and putting on her robe. She felt his eyes watching her as she wrapped the robe around herself and tied it. She saw him in the mirror crawling across the bed on his knees toward her. In a moment his hands were moving her reddish/blonde hair to the side and he was kissing her neck. She heard the change in his breathing as he kissed her and her breath quickened as well.  
  
"I mean it. Thanks for letting me just crash here last night. I needed it," Bosco mumbled against her neck.  
  
"No problem. Everyone needs to veg-out sometimes," she said, turning toward him. "Everything okay? You were..., restless last night," she said and he saw some concern in her face.  
  
He kissed her and she kissed him back and he tried to decide if he should tell her or not. "Yeah. Just some stuff at work. Get dressed and I'll buy you some breakfast," he told her, standing up and grabbing his t-shirt.  
  
"Maybe I want breakfast in bed," she said in a low, sultry voice. He turned and looked as she sat back down on the bed.  
  
"Mmmmm, room service, eh?" he said, dropping his t-shirt and moving toward her.   
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Paul Richards got out of bed and moved toward the kitchen. The automatic coffeemaker had his coffee all ready for him. He poured a cup and walked to the front door and opened it, retrieving the paper from the front step.  
  
He sat down on the couch and opened to the front page. There he noticed the article about yesterday's car bomb. He read about the injured officer and learned that he would recover fully from his injuries. He was relieved. He didn't want an innocent person to suffer for what Officer Boscorelli had done.  
  
He let the paper fall to his lap as he took a sip of his coffee and looked out the window at the bright, sunny day. "Did you sleep well last night, Maurice Boscorelli? Or did you lie awake wondering who left you that note and hurt your friend?" he asked out loud, a smile playing on his lips.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	7. Chapter 7

Revenge  
  
Chapter 7  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Boscorelli!" the Lieutenant shouted into the locker room as the officers of the Third Watch were getting ready for roll call.  
  
"Dammit!" Bosco swore under his breath, looking quickly at his watch with a puzzled look.  
  
"You're not late. Just see me in my office before roll call. You too, Yokas," he ordered and then was gone before Faith finished saying, "Yes, Sir."  
  
"What did you do this time, Boscorelli?" Sgt. Christopher said with a smirk.  
  
"I don't know, Christopher. Maybe he wants to give me a Command Recognition and needs me to sign the paperwork," Bosco said sarcastically as he left the room, with Faith behind him.  
  
Out in the hallway, Faith said, "So, everything alright last night? I tried to call you, but I kept getting your machine."  
  
"Yeah. Fine. I was at Trisha's. By the time I got out of here after talking to the detectives, it was too late to go see Ty. I couldn't relax, so I went out to Haggerty's with some of the guys and then I went to Trisha's. She was waiting up for me," he said, inwardly smiling at the thought of someone waiting for him to get home.  
  
Faith raised an eyebrow as they reached the Lieutenant's office. "Is this getting serious?" she asked him.   
  
They stopped at the door and looked at each other. Without saying anything, Bosco raised his arm and knocked on the door.  
  
"Enter!" came the voice from inside and the two officers entered and closed the door behind them.  
  
"Sir?" Bosco said warily as he looked around the room at the two other men from the Detectives Squad upstairs.  
  
"Officers Boscorelli and Yokas, I think you know Detectives Barrons and Stephano," the Lieutenant began as they all shook hands in greeting.  
  
"Boscorelli. This was delivered for you right before you arrived to get ready for your shift. It was immediately dusted for prints and placed in this baggie to avoid any new fingerprint contamination," Swersky said, handing Bosco a sealed, clear plastic bag containing a piece of paper with handwriting on it.  
  
Bosco's stomach immediately tightened as he took the letter and held in front of him so that both he and Faith could read it.  
  
"I want to make it clear that yesterday was an unfortunate accident. Had you, Officer Maurice Boscorelli, not been shirking your duties and letting another Officer pick up your slack, perhaps the error could have been avoided.  
  
"You can rest assured that these unfortunate circumstances will not be repeated. I can only hope that you will make every attempt to keep those you hold dear out of harm's way.  
  
Paul."  
  
Bosco looked at the people in the room. "Any hit on the fingerprints?" he asked.  
  
"Not yet. We're running them again, just to make sure. Did you have any revelations during the night that might shed some light on this character?" asked Detective Stephano.  
  
Bosco shook his head. "No. I would've contacted you right away." Bosco looked over at his partner and then back to the Lieutenant.  
  
"Lieu, I want to ride solo until this guy is caught," Bosco stated, much to Faith's surprise.  
  
"Like hell," she said, more to Bosco than anyone else. She then realized that she was in a room with superior officers and turned to them. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I just mean that I don't think that's a very good idea. Maybe it'll keep this guy at bay if Bosco's not alone on patrol. Maybe he won't try anything if I'm with him. Besides, an extra pair of eyes at any calls can't hurt," she explained.  
  
"No, Sir. I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of me," Bosco said with sternness in his voice, not looking at Faith.  
  
"Well, let's make sure that doesn't happen then, shall we?" the Lieutenant responded. "I've instructed Dispatch that you are not to be sent on any call - regardless of how minor it seems - alone. You'll have a back-up unit at all times," he said as Bosco started to object.  
  
The Lieutenant held up a finger. "That is not open to debate, Boscorelli. Am I clear on that?"  
  
"Yes, Sir," Bosco answered, not liking it at all.  
  
"That is all. The Detectives will keep you apprised of any progress they make and you'll let them know if you think of anything that will help. You two get to roll call and hit the streets," the Lieutenant said, indicating that the meeting was over.  
  
Just as Bosco and Faith were about to exit the room, the Lieutenant added, "Be alert out there."  
  
Once out in the hallway and headed to roll call, Faith took hold of Bosco's arm and turned him toward her. "What was that all about? You don't honestly think that I'd let you go out by yourself with this whacko out there, did you?"  
  
"Look, Faith. I just don't want you getting hurt because of me. It already happened once. Ty was bad enough, but if something ever happened to you...," he said, not finishing the sentence.  
  
"Well, we weren't aware of all this before Ty got hurt. Now we are and we'll be more careful," Faith said, starting back down the hall without giving him a chance to object.  
  
Bosco shook his head and followed her. After a few more minutes, Sgt. Christopher finished giving out the information to the shift and everyone stood up to get their radios and hit the streets.   
  
Bosco caught Sully's attention and said, "Hey, Sul. How's Ty doing? You think it'd be okay if I stopped by his Mom's house?"  
  
"I talked to him earlier. He's tired, but better. I think it'd be okay to stop by. You have the address?" Sully asked him.  
  
"Yeah, thanks," Bosco said and they left to start their shifts.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	8. Chapter 8

Revenge  
  
Chapter 8  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hi, Ma'am. I'm Officer Boscorelli and this is Officer Yokas. We were just wondering if Office Davis was up for some company, Ma'am?" Bosco asked when Maggie Davis answered the front door.  
  
Maggie held open the door and as Faith and Bosco walked in said, "Ma'am was my mother. You can call me Maggie."  
  
"Thank you, Ma'--- I mean Maggie," Bosco said, removing his hat and holding it under his arm while he held out a hand to shake Maggie's. "I'm Bosco." Maggie shook his hand and then took Faith's.  
  
"Faith," she offered. "Pleased to meet you. So, is Ty up for some company? 'Cause we could come back at another time."  
  
"No, no. He's bored to tears. Go right on out to the living room," Maggie said, gesturing through the doorway. "I'll go get some drinks. Iced tea okay?"  
  
"Yes. Great," Bosco said as they headed toward the room that Maggie had indicated. They walked through the doorway and saw Ty sitting on the couch, remote in hand, flicking through the channels with a frown on his face. He looked up as Faith and Bosco entered the room.  
  
"Hey, guys! What's up?" he said, sitting up straighter on the couch and motioning for his two friends to take a seat. He clicked the remote to turn off the television and dropped it on the couch alongside him with a grimace. "I can't believe I can't find one ballgame this afternoon. I'm so sick of Oprah and Dr. Phil."  
  
"I think the Yankees have a game tonight," Bosco offered and then the silence returned.  
  
"So," Faith started. "How're you feeling, Ty?"  
  
"Better. I think I can go back to work, but the doctors are being over-cautious," Ty said as his mother came into the room with iced tea and some cake.  
  
"Better safe than sorry, Young Man," she admonished him as she put down the tray on the coffee table and handed it out.  
  
"Thanks, Ma'am," Bosco said and received a look from Maggie. "Sorry," he said and they all laughed.  
  
"I'll leave you all to talk. It was good to meet you," she said before turning to leave.  
  
"She's a nice lady," Faith said and Ty nodded.  
  
"Yeah. She's pretty cool. She kind of freaked yesterday though," he said.  
  
"With good reason. I don't know what I'd do if Charlie or Emily had that happen," Faith said.  
  
"About what happened," Bosco started awkwardly, feeling guilty that Ty had gotten hurt by a bomb that was meant for him.  
  
Ty waved him off. "Bosco, no problem. It was just a freak thing that we were closer than you, Man. I'm okay and that's all we need to say about it."  
  
"Thanks, Man," Bosco said, relaxing a little.  
  
"So, do they have any leads on this whacko?" Ty asked.  
  
"Only that his name is Paul. I don't remember any Paul though. No one that I've arrested lately. We've checked my arrest records and, believe it or not, I don't think I've ever arrested anyone named Paul, other than that Paulie that shot Bobby Caffey. And, he's still in Rykers," Bosco explained.  
  
"That's weird, alright," Ty said to him as they ate their cake.  
  
"Dispatch to 55-David," cracked Bosco's radio, making everyone jump slightly. It was almost as if they weren't working and were just there visiting. The radio brought them back to reality.  
  
"David," Bosco answered into his radio.  
  
"55-David, take an unknown problem at 3734 Aruthur. 55-Charlie's responding also. Lieutenant advises you to await their arrival," came the voice.  
  
Bosco rolled his eyes, somewhat aggravated by the fact that they had to be babysat until this jag-off was caught. But then he remembered that at least Faith would be safe - even if she wouldn't let him ride solo for a while. "10-4. 55-David's in route," Bosco answered as he and Faith stood up.  
  
Maggie must have heard the radio because she came into the room as Ty started to stand up. She was immediately by his side in case he was unsteady, but he seemed fine.  
  
"Maggie, thank you for the cake. It was good," Faith said.  
  
"You're welcome. Thanks for stopping by. And, you be careful out there, you hear me?" she said, obviously knowing what was going on.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am," Bosco answered before realizing that the word 'ma'am' was out of his mouth.  
  
Bosco reached out to shake Ty's hand. "Let me know if you need anything and I'm sorry, Ty."  
  
Ty shook his hand and made eye contact with him. "It's cool, Bos. Just be careful. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you find this guy."  
  
The two officers left to answer the call, leaving Ty and Maggie watching out the window.  
  
"They seemed nice," Maggie said finally.  
  
"They are. They're good cops. I'd trust them with my life," Ty said, going back to the couch to turn on the television again.  
  
"That's good to know," Maggie said, gathering up the dishes and bringing them into the kitchen. "I'll be right back with your medicine."  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Bosco and Faith pulled up to find Sully and Gusler already on the scene and talking with the complainant. "Oh great. I'm entrusting my life to Gusler," Bosco complained.  
  
"Bos. Be nice," Faith said as they got out of the car, looking around as they walked toward Sully to find out what was going on.  
  
"I'll try," Bosco said with exasperation. Suddenly, there was a loud bang from somewhere down the alley and all four officers crouched down and put their hands on their weapons in case they were needed in a hurry.  
  
They followed the sound until their eyes landed on a man in the alley that had just gotten done throwing his garbage into the dumpster. Faith and Bosco looked at each other.  
  
"This is almost as bad as when that jag-off on the bike was shooting at cops," Bosco said, straightening up and walking toward Sully and Gusler.  
  
"I think it's worse. This time we know for sure that they're out to get US," Faith half-mumbled as she followed her partner. But, Bosco had heard the whole thing.  
  
"Whatta we got?" Bosco asked as he approached the other two officers.  
  
"Gusler, fill 'em in while I finish getting this guys information," Sully said, turning his attention back to the report. Gusler turned to the senior officers.  
  
"Sir, Ma'am. This guy is filing a complaint against his neighbor for throwing his dog's.... uh, ... excrement into his yard every day. You see, the guy asked his neighbor last week to please clean up after the dog because he was having some people over and they'd be in the yard. I guess, uh... I guess the guy didn't want to clean up after his dog and didn't like being told that he had to so he now he keeps throwing it into his neighbor's yard out of spite," Gusler explained.  
  
"Ain't suburbia grand," Bosco said sarcastically.  
  
"Sul, okay if we put ourselves 10-98, or do you want us to finish up?" Faith asked him.  
  
"Nah. I'm done. I'm just gonna talk the neighbor quick and see if I can get this straightened out," Sully said, closing his notebook and walking toward the neighbors house.  
  
"55-David is 10-98," Bosco said into the radio.  
  
"Bos, let's just hang here in case there's a problem," Faith said.  
  
Bosco shrugged. "Yeah, okay. Nothin' else goin' on anyway. I can watch Sully teaching Gusler about 'solving problems.'"  
  
Faith just rolled her eyes as they both leaned against their RMP, waiting for Sully and Gusler to clear from the call.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	9. Chapter 9

Revenge  
  
Chapter 9  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Paul Richards watched from a distance as the two officers left the station after their shift. He watched as they stopped just outside the door and spoke for a few minutes. The female started to walk away and then stopped as Boscorelli called after her. After a moment, the woman seemed to shrug her shoulders and turn and head back to Bosco. As they walked toward Bosco's car and she opened the door, Paul could see by the light in the car that it was his partner, Faith Yokas. They both got in Bosco's car and drove off, Paul following at a safe distance.   
  
*^*^*^*^*^***^  
  
He followed them for a short distance and pulled to the curb down the block from where Bosco parked his car. He watched them enter Haggerty's and then pondered what he should do.  
  
"Boscorelli didn't seem to recognize me at that store the other day," he thought to himself. "Maybe he wouldn't notice me in the crowd of a bar either."  
  
He thought for another moment and then decided he could chance it. He got out of his car, leaving it unlocked in the event that he had to make a quick getaway. He walked toward the bar and took a look around to see if anyone had noticed him. There didn't seem to be anyone hanging around outside. He stood at the corner of the window and looked into the bar, finding Faith and Bosco at a small table near the window.   
  
As he walked past the window where they sat, he turned his head to look across the street so that they couldn't see his face. Because he was looking away, he didn't notice Bosco and Faith glance up casually as a habit of their profession as the man walked by. Paul Richards entered the bar and went to the opposite side of the room so he could watch them from a distance.  
  
Bosco and Faith sat across from each other and were talking about the shift, joking about one of the drunks that they'd had to transport to Mercy. He was out walking his dog while he was drunk and the dog, whether sensing his master's drunken state or not, managed to walk on one side of a telephone pole while his owner walked on the other.  
  
"I can just see that idiot as the leash wrapped around that pole and the guy fell over. The dog seemed more embarrassed than the guy did!" Bosco laughed causing Faith to laugh also. It was good to see him smile tonight.  
  
"Yeah, well I'll bet he'll realize what happened in the morning. He already had a good shiner forming over his eye from where he fell against the mailbox. Can you believe that dog just sat there next to the guy waiting for someone to come along and help him?" Faith laughed again.  
  
"You can always count on pets to stay loyal," Bosco said, his laughter trailing off.  
  
Faith glanced at her watch and realized how late it was. "I gotta get home, Bos. Fred's probably waiting up and I want to find out how Emily and Charlie did on their tests today."  
  
They both stood up and Bosco threw some money on the table to settle the bill. "Yeah, me too," Bosco said. "C'mon, I'll give you a ride. I'm goin' by that way anyway," he offered.  
  
Richards watched the two pay and walk out. He threw some money down on the bar to pay for the drink that he'd hardly touched and walked quietly to his car on the opposite side of the street, unnoticed by Faith and Bosco this time.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Bosco pulled up outside of Faith's building and watched her walk up the steps and into the building. Paul Richards watched from a distance as well, noting the address of the building for future use if need be.  
  
He watched Bosco pull away and followed for a short distance until he figured out that he was just heading home. He already knew where Bosco lived, having followed him around for some time. He pulled over and pulled out his cell phone, dialing Bosco's number to leave a message on his machine. After leaving the message, he pulled back into the driving lane and headed home himself.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Bosco parked his car and walked up the sidewalk to his building. He looked around quickly and used his key to get into the building. He walked to the stairs as one of his neighbors came down.  
  
"Hi, Maurice. Everything safe out there?" asked the middle-aged woman who was on her way to do laundry now that her kids were sound asleep and not likely to get into any trouble without her right there.  
  
"All's quiet, Mrs. Adams," Bosco replied, opening the door to the laundry room for her. She stepped aside while he turned on the light switch and looked around the laundry room to make sure no one had gotten in and waited for the first unsuspecting female to come in to attack.  
  
"Go to it," he said, stepping aside so she could enter the room.  
  
"Thanks, Maurice. Sleep well," Mrs. Adams said as she started putting the clothes into the washer.  
  
"Thanks. Say hi to Max for me," Bosco told her, referring to her six year old son that always wanted to hear some of Bosco's police stories whenever he ran into him in the hallway.  
  
Bosco continued up the stairs and, using his key, let himself into his apartment. He dropped his keys on the table by the door, hung his coat on the hook and walked over to the table to go through the mail that he'd thrown there earlier in the day. He looked over at the phone and saw that he had some messages. He pushed the button to play the messages while he sorted out the junk from the bills.  
  
"This message is for Mr. Boscorelli. This is Sandy at Dr. Dorey's office, reminding you of your dental check up tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. If you are unable to keep the appointment, please call to reschedule. Thanks."  
  
Bosco grimaced at the reminder. He hated going to the dentist and briefly thought of calling up to leave a message to cancel the appointment, but decided he might as well get it over with and made a mental note of the appointment.  
  
"Hi Mo. It's Mikey. Just wanted to remind you of Ma's birthday next week. I thought maybe we'd take her out for dinner. Give me a call and let me know. See ya."  
  
"Hello, Maurice. So, you made it through another shift safely. I wonder how long that will last. You never know when some terrible accident might occur and rip your world apart. Would you like to know how that feels? Because, I could give you a blow-by-blow description of what it feels like to have your whole world torn apart. But, then again, you'll know soon enough. Sleep well."  
  
Bosco froze at the sound of the voice on the machine even before he'd heard the whole message. He didn't recognize the voice, but he knew that it certainly sounded menacing. He listened to the message and dropped the remaining envelopes onto the table. He turned off the machine and pulled the tape from it to avoid it getting erased. He picked up his phone and went through the caller id record on his phone. He recognized all of the numbers but one, which showed as 'Unknown Caller.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	10. Chapter 10

Revenge  
  
Chapter 10  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Faith was doing some things around the apartment, trying to get caught up on some of the laundry and housecleaning. She'd just come back from putting laundry in down in the laundry room of the apartment building. Now, she was on her knees in the bathroom, finishing up scrubbing out the tub and tiles.  
  
"What a bunch of animals," she commented to herself, out of breath from the scrubbing. She stood up and put her cleaning supplies away. Glancing at her watch she saw that it was time she started getting cleaned up and ready for work. Emily and Charlie would be home from school a short time after she left and she liked to leave them a snack for when they got home. It sure was easier now that Emily was old enough to keep an eye on her brother until Fred got home from work at 5:00. No more paying Mrs. Miller across the hall to watch them. Faith let out a laugh when she remembered Emily's reasoning about how SHE should get the money since SHE was watching Charlie instead of Mrs. Miller now.  
  
Emily wasn't happy with Faith's answer, but she knew not to look a gift horse in the mouth and accepted half the amount that they used to pay Mrs. Miller for watching both of them, since Emily would only be watching Charlie.  
  
She headed into the bedroom to get her clothes and then headed back in to take a shower in the bathroom she'd just cleaned. She'd just gotten in the shower when the phone rang. She thought about letting it ring, but thought maybe it was Emily or Charlie calling with a problem at school. She wrapped a towel around her and grabbed the phone out of the bedroom.  
  
"Hello?" she said, somewhat irritated. There was no sound on the other end of the line.  
  
"Hello?" she repeated, a little louder this time, irritation evident in her voice.  
  
"Have a safe shift, Officer Yokas," came the faint voice finally, followed by a dial tone.  
  
"Who is this?" Faith asked angrily into the phone, only to hear the dial tone answer her back. She hung up the phone and walked over to the window - not expecting to find anyone outside, but just because there was nothing else to do. Suddenly, she remembered the *69 feature to call someone back if you missed a call, but before she could use the feature, the phone rang again. She jumped slightly and then picked up the receiver.  
  
"Who is this?" she asked in an authoritative voice.  
  
"Mom?" came Emily's voice from the other end.  
  
"Emily? What's up?" she asked, trying to remove the anxiousness from her voice.  
  
"You okay, Mom?" Emily asked her, picking up on the tone of her voice.  
  
"What? Yeah. I was in the shower," she said, dismissing her question.  
  
"Oh. Sorry. I just wanted to let you know that I'm gonna take Charlie to the park for a little while before we come home. I promise we won't stay long, especially if he has homework," Emily said.  
  
"Okay. Have fun, but be home before Daddy. I'll leave him a note just in case he gets home early, but you know he'll freak out before he finds it," Faith said, momentarily forgetting about the previous phone call.  
  
"I'll be home. What did you take out for dinner? I can get it started maybe," Emily offered.   
  
"What a difference from a few months ago," Faith thought to herself.  
  
"I took some chicken out. It's all ready to go. Just put it in the oven around 4:30 at 350 degrees. It should be ready by the time Daddy gets home. I'll see you when I get home. Don't forget to get to bed on time. You have final exams this week," Faith told her.  
  
"I will. Have a good night at work and tell Bosco I said hello," Emily said, hanging up the phone.  
  
Faith looked at the clock and realized how late she was running. "Crap," she said, running back to the bathroom and finishing her shower quickly. She got dressed for work and rushed out the door, forgetting to leave a note for Fred about Emily and Charlie.   
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Bosco was already at work, in uniform, when Faith rushed in. He was standing at the front desk talking to the Lieutenant and they both noticed her rush past.  
  
"Faith? Everything okay?" Bosco asked her, but she was past him and into the locker room before he got the words out. He and the Lieutenant looked at each other and shrugged.  
  
"So, they got the tracer on my phone and someone's gonna be sittin' outside my apartment, I guess," Bosco told his boss.   
  
"Maybe I should pull you off the street until we find this jag-off," Swersky suggested to Bosco.  
  
"Boss. That's exactly what he wants to happen. Whoever this jerk is, he wants to scare me. I'm not gonna give in to him." Bosco looked over his shoulder to see if Faith was coming. He lowered his voice and said, "But, it wouldn't hurt to get Faith away from me."  
  
"Not a chance," Faith said from behind him, making both men jump.  
  
"Jesus! How d'you do that?!" Bosco practically yelled at her.  
  
"It's a mother thing," she said. "Ready for roll call?" she asked him as she finished putting her gun belt on and looked up at the two men.  
  
Bosco looked back at the Lieutenant and the two men made a face as if to say, "What're you gonna do?"  
  
"Safe shift," the Lieutenant called after them. Faith stopped short at the words, causing Bosco to walk into the back of her.  
  
"Faith! What? Let's go," he said, stepping around her and walking into roll call. She followed him in, remembering the phone call from earlier. She'd talk to Bosco about it after roll call.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
Emily was sitting in the park, watching Charlie play with some of his friends. Her friend Jennifer had come with her and they were talking about the boys they both liked.  
  
No one noticed the car at first. But, by the time they'd heard the screeching tires, the car had passed by four times and was now careening over the curb toward the kids in the park. Emily jumped up and yelled for Charlie.  
  
"Charlie! Get out of the way! Everyone move!" she yelled, running toward the scattering kids.   
  
The car came to rest without hitting any of the kids, but it hit the wooden play equipment. A man jumped out of the car and as he ran away yelled, "Tell Boscorelli I said hello!" Emily wasn't close enough to get a look at the man, but she heard what he yelled and pulled her cell phone from her pocket.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Faith and Bosco were just getting into their RMP. Faith said, "Bosco? I got this weird phone call this after...." Faith was interrupted by her phone ringing at the same time that the police radio came to life.  
  
Bosco answered the radio as Faith answered her phone.  
  
"55-David and 55-Charlie. Respond with FDNY and EMS to the park at Arthur and 138th for a car into the playground. Witnesses report that the driver ran away on foot. Lieutenant will meet you on scene."  
  
"10-4. 55-David's responding," Bosco answered, starting the car and heading in the direction of the call, suddenly realizing at the same time that he heard Faith's alarmed voice that it was the park by Faith's apartment building. His foot pushed down on the accelerator as he turned on the lights and siren.  
  
"Emily! Calm down and tell me what happened. We're on our way there right now. Just stay there and don't go anywhere. The police and fire department are on the way. Just stay on the phone with me and keep Charlie next to you. Are you sure you're not hurt?" Faith asked into the phone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	11. Chapter 11

Revenge  
  
Chapter 11  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bosco brought the car to a screeching halt, half on the sidewalk and half in the road, causing numerous bystanders to scatter for fear of getting hit. He threw the car in park and he and Faith were out of the car before it stopped rocking from the abrupt stop.  
  
"Where the hell are they?" Faith asked in a panicked voice as Bosco helped her look through the crowd.  
  
"There, Faith. Over there with the Lieutenant," Bosco answered, pointing in the direction of the group. The Lieutenant had Emily and Charlie right by his side, his hand protectively on Charlie's shoulder and he was talking to Emily.  
  
Faith and Bosco arrived at the group, Faith enveloping her children while dropping to her knees to inspect them for herself. "Are you alright? Are you sure you're alright?" she asked and they shook their heads 'yes.' Bosco took hold of Emily's arm at the elbow and looked the children over as well.  
  
"Bosco. Come over here with me," the Lieutenant said quietly, motioning for Bosco to follow him.   
  
When he and Bosco were out of earshot of Faith, the Lieutenant said, "I'm pulling you two off the streets, effective immediately."  
  
"But, Lieu," Bosco started only to be interrupted.   
  
"It's no longer open to discussion, Bosco. This has gone too far," Swersky warned him.  
  
"What the hell happened, Lieu?" Bosco asked him, just now realizing they didn't really have the whole story. Faith assured herself that her children were okay and stepped over to the Lieutenant and her partner.  
  
"Are they okay?" Bosco asked her.   
  
"Yeah, they're just shook up. What's going on, Lieu?" she asked.  
  
"It seems that this guy just came screeching up onto the playground and barreling toward the group of kids playing. From what I can tell, Emily and her girlfriend there saw him coming and jumped up and yelled for the kids to scatter. The car continued until it ran into the wooden playground equipment, where you see it now. Crime scene guys are checking the car out and they'll tow it back to look it over thoroughly. Anyway, Emily says she saw the guy jump out of the car and start running that way," he said, gesturing toward the other side of the park.  
  
He stopped talking for a moment, but both Bosco and Faith sensed there was more.  
  
"And?" Bosco asked.  
  
"And, she said she heard him yell something like, "Tell Officer Boscorelli I said hi," he finished.  
  
"Jesus Christ," Bosco said through his exhaled breath,looking back over at Charlie and Emily, thankful they hadn't gotten hurt or worse.  
  
"That's it, Faith," he said, turning to his partner. "I'm solo from here on out."  
  
"No way, Bos. I'm not gonna let you ride around by yourself, just waiting for this psycho to strike," Faith protested.  
  
"Faith, I'm not gonna be responsible for you or the kids getting hurt because of me," he argued back.  
  
"Excuse me," the Lieutenant interrupted. "But I do believe that I said you're both off the streets until further notice." One of the detectives working on the case came up to the officers.  
  
"I don't think that's gonna solve the problem, Lieutenant," the detective said.  
  
"Oh you don't, do you? Well, I know that if my targeted officers aren't on the street, this jag-off can't get to them," Swersky answered.  
  
"Obviously, this 'jag-off' as you call him, isn't limiting his anger toward just Boscorelli and Yokas any more. If you pull them off the streets, then he'll just go after their families. At least if you leave them on the streets, he'll keep coming back to them. We'll just have to be ready for them," the detective explained.  
  
"You seem pretty casual with my officers' safety," the Lieutenant said.  
  
"He's right, Lieu," Bosco agreed. "But, I don't want Faith on the streets. Make her take some time - maybe go out of town for a couple of days with Fred and the kids - just until I draw this jerk out and catch him."  
  
"I'm not leaving you by yourself, Bos," Faith argued.  
  
"He's right, Faith. Take some time. Keep your family safe. We'll watch out for Bosco," the Lieutenant said.   
  
Faith was about to argue again, but the Lieutenant beat her to it. "Donaldson!" he yelled over to one of the uniformed officers with Emily and Charlie. "Take the kids home and stay with them until Officer Yokas gets home. Bosco, you and your partner are done for tonight. Faith you're off the roster until I tell you otherwise. Boscorelli, you report in hourly with the Desk Sergeant in between your shifts and see me tomorrow before you hit the streets."  
  
Faith and Bosco looked at each other and began walking to their RMP.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	12. Chapter 12

Revenge  
  
Chapter 12  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Fred. Fred. Fred, would you just calm down and listen to me for a minute?" Faith said into the cell phone as Bosco drove the car back to the House. Faith was calling Fred at work to tell him what was going on, that the kids were okay, and that she was leaving work to go home.  
  
Bosco could hear Fred yelling on the other end of the phone and just shook his head. He could understand how pissed he was. Someone had gone after his family and it was all because of Bosco apparently. He was mad and he was scared. Bosco hated to admit it, but he was a little nervous about it too. This guy had come too close. He tried to hurt people he loved. He had to find this guy before anyone got hurt. He tuned back in to the last bit of Faith's phone conversation.  
  
"Okay, Fred. I'll see you there. No. Donaldson will stay with them until I get there - even if you get there before me. Yeah. Call your Mom, tell her we're coming for a visit. But, call her from work in case this mope has our phone bugged or something," she added, looking over at Bosco and seeing the anger on his face. "Okay. I'll get there as quick as I can," she finished, hanging up the phone.  
  
She looked over again at Bosco, not sure if she should say anything or not, when he finally broke the silence.  
  
"I'm sorry, Faith," he said, quietly.  
  
"Bosco. Don't even go there. This is NOT your fault," she told him. He shook his head.  
  
"No. I did something to this jag-off. I don't know what, but I'm gonna find out and I'm gonna find him. If anything had happened to Emily and Charlie - or any one of those kids playing in the park for that matter - because of me, I don't know what I'd do," he said as he pulled into the House and parked the car. He looked over at Faith.  
  
"So, you're goin' to Fred's parent's house?" he asked her.  
  
"Yeah," Faith said, nodding. "Why don't you stay at your Mom's or something - somewhere that he can't find you," Faith suggested.  
  
"Nah. I've put enough people in danger. I'll just stay at my place, call in to the station every hour and keep my eyes open for this guy. He's gotta try to get to me again soon. But, this time I'll be ready for him," he told her.   
  
"Just be careful, Bos. I don't want anything to happen to you. Not after all we've been through to get back to where we are now," she said as they gathered their things up and got out of the car.  
  
"Thanks, Faith. For everything. I mean, if not for you, I don't know what would've happened to me. You're my best friend, Faith," he said.  
  
"Same here, Bos," Faith added and they walked toward the station to get changed.  
  
"I don't want you taking the train home. I'll drive you, check in with Donaldson, and wait until you, Fred and the kids are on your way to your in-laws," he told her, more than asked her.  
  
"Okay," she said simply and they went inside to get changed and head home.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Later that night, Bosco lay on top of the covers of his bed. It was a dark night, the moon seemed to be hiding behind the clouds. He watched the headlights from passing cars play through his window and across his wall. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Something was nagging at him - more than just what happened this afternoon with Emily and Charlie - but he couldn't put his finger on it.  
  
The phone rang and after the fourth ring he picked it up. "Hello?" he answered warily.  
  
"Maurice? Are you alright?" came her voice from the other end.  
  
Bosco smiled and said, "Hey. Yeah, I'm fine. Look, I'm sorry I haven't called you. Something's been going on and I didn't want you in the middle of it," he said and explained what had been happening for the past few days, including what happened that afternoon with Faith's kids.  
  
After he'd finished, she said, "Oh my God! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Come stay with me," Trish told him.  
  
"No. I'm not staying with anyone. I don't want anything to happen to anyone that I care about," he said, pausing.  
  
"I've missed you," he said finally.  
  
"Me too. So, what're you doing about this guy?" she asked him. He explained about Faith taking her family out of town and him warning his mother and brother. He told her about the trace on his phone.  
  
"So, I guess I shouldn't say anything too risqué, huh?" she teased him.  
  
"Oh, I don't know. In addition to me, you'd be giving the guy listening to the tapes a thrill," he teased back.  
  
"There's someone listening right now?!" she asked with surprise.  
  
"Maybe," he told her.  
  
"I'm worried about you, Maurice," she said to him.  
  
"Don't be. I'll be fine. I'll call you when I can and as soon as this is done with, I'll be over, okay?" he assured her.  
  
"Okay. Call me if you need anything. I mean it," she insisted.  
  
"I will. Goodnight," he said.  
  
"Goodnight, Maurice. Take care of yourself and call me soon. I really miss you," he heard as she hung up the phone.  
  
He hung up the phone and thought about his feelings for her. This could really be the one. He hoped she felt the same way.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^**^**^  
  
He lay on the bed, unable to sleep from all the thoughts running through his head. Finally, he got up and went to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator door and as he reached for the orange juice, he heard it - a slight brushing noise against his front door. He closed the refrigerator and quietly walked toward the door. He reached into the drawer of the table near the front door and quietly took out his off-duty gun. He looked out through the peephole, but couldn't see anything. Again, he heard a noise along the bottom of the door. He put his hand on the doorknob and slowly started to turn it, sure that the noise would alert whoever was out there. He decided to just pull the door open and have his gun ready.  
  
He pulled the door open quickly, bringing his gun up in front of him. "Don't move!" he yelled and then realized that he was pointing his gun at his neighbor's face. He put the gun down at his side.  
  
"Max! What are you doing out there?" Bosco asked, stepping out and looking up and down the hallway, his hand on Max's neck, ready to pull him out of harm's way if he needed to. He pulled the boy into his apartment and squatted down even with him.  
  
"I was supposed to put this under your door after you went to sleep," Max told him, holding up an envelope. Bosco took the envelope from him and started to open it.  
  
"Who told you to?" he asked the frightened, young boy. Max thought that Bosco was mad at him.  
  
"Your friend. He said that your birthday was tomorrow and he wanted to leave you a card to open when you got up. Happy Birthday, Bosco!" Max said, with a smile, hoping to take away Bosco's anger.  
  
Bosco looked at the young man and realized that he'd scared the boy. "Thanks, Max," he said with a smile. "But, it's not really my birthday. When did the man give you the envelope?" he asked him calmly.  
  
"After you came inside," Max answered. Bosco had come home from work after dropping Faith off and Max was outside playing on the sidewalk. They sat together on the sidewalk and talked for a while until Bosco told him he had to go upstairs.  
  
"What else did he say, Max?" Bosco asked him, walking him back to his apartment.  
  
"Nothing. He just said that his name was Paul and that he was a friend of yours. Said that tomorrow was your birthday and that I should put that under your door so you would see it in the morning," Max explained.  
  
"Okay, here you are," Bosco said, stopping in front of Max's apartment. "Can you get back in?"  
  
"Yeah, I left it unlocked," Max answered.  
  
"Okay. Thanks for bringing me the envelope. But, do me a favor okay," he asked the boy. Max just looked up at him, ready to do anything for this police officer that is his friend.  
  
"If you see this guy again, don't go near him. I want you to tell your Mom to call the police - or call me if I'm here. He's not a friend of mine, Max. He's someone who is not a friend. Okay? Do you understand?" Bosco asked, wanting to make sure that Max understood that the man was dangerous without trying to scare him too much.  
  
"Okay, Bosco. I'm sorry," Max said, putting his hand on the doorknob.  
  
"Don't be sorry, Max. You didn't do anything wrong - except sneak out of your apartment without telling your Mom, but that will be our little secret, okay?" Bosco said, tousling the boy's hair as he sent him back inside. "Lock the door, okay?"  
  
"Okay. G'night, Bosco," Max whispered.  
  
"G'night," Bosco whispered back, waiting until the door was closed and he heard the click of the lock.  
  
*^*^*^*^**^  
  
Bosco went back into his apartment and locked the door behind him. He opened the envelope and looked at the card. It was a sympathy card. "Sorry for your loss," it read. Nothing else. The only other thing was his signature. "Your friend, Paul." A shiver ran down Bosco's spine as he thought about who this guy would go after next. He had called his mother and Mikey earlier to warn them about someone named Paul that may come looking for him. He gave them the details so that they could be aware. Each of them refused to leave town and wanted Bosco to come stay with him. He declined and told them to be careful.  
  
"Who the hell is this guy?" Bosco said out loud, slamming his hand on the counter.  
  
Bosco finished getting his juice and then headed back into the bedroom. He flopped down on the bed and lay there trying to remember where he might know this guy from. Finally, he fell asleep and a dream started.  
  
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""  
  
Bosco was back at the store taking the information from the guy that wouldn't buy anything. He looked over at Faith as she talked to the owner of the store, trying to calm him down.   
  
"What's your name?" Bosco asked him.   
  
"Paul Richards," the man answered.  
  
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""  
  
Bosco sat up straight in the bed, suddenly remembering the man's name - Paul Richards. He jumped out of bed and dialed the Desk Sergeant.  
  
"Hey, Sgt. Matthews. It's Boscorelli. I need to talk to the detectives," Bosco said into the phone and was connected.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC.... 


	13. Chapter 13

Revenge  
  
Chapter 13  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Boscorelli. You're early," the Lieutenant's voice came from the doorway, making Bosco jump slightly.  
  
"Yeah. I remembered something last night and I wanted to check on one of our reports from right before that car explosion where Davis got hurt," Bosco explained as the Lieutenant walked into the room.  
  
"Yeah, that's what the detectives were telling me. So, did you find anything?"  
  
"This report that we took around the corner, one of the guys' names was Paul Richards. I didn't remember it because Faith filled out the report. You think this guy got us over there on purpose?" Bosco asked his boss, turning to look at him.  
  
"Could be. You got an address on the guy? We could go over and talk to him," Swersky suggested.  
  
"Yeah. I was going to do that right after roll call. You heard from Faith?" Bosco asked.  
  
"She called a little while ago to see if we'd found out anything. Said she tried to call you, but you weren't home. Must be because you were here. They got there okay. She's worried about you," the Lieutenant told him.   
  
Bosco gave a half laugh. "Well, its what she does," he said, standing up because it was time for roll call.  
  
"So, how're you holding up?" the older man asked him.  
  
"Me? I'm fine. I just want to get this jag-off so we can get on with things. Davis is coming back today, I heard," Bosco said as they walked down the hallway.  
  
"Yup. He got the okay from the doctor." They both walked into the roll call room and Bosco went over to shake Ty's hand.  
  
"Welcome back, Ty," he said.  
  
"Good to be back, Man. Whatta you say, we try to get this guy today?" Ty returned.  
  
"Absolutely," Bosco said as the Sergeant called everyone's attention and the shift's briefing began.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Hey, Ma," Mikey called to his mother as he walked into the bar. "Heard from Mo today?"  
  
"I talked to him this morning," she replied as she poured a drink for the man at the end of the bar.  
  
"Anybody come in looking for him?" Mikey asked her as he sat down and she gave him a soda.  
  
"No. You?" Rose asked as she put the drink in front of the stranger.  
  
"Nah. Who'd want to do anything to me? Mo wouldn't even care," Mikey said.  
  
"Don't say that, Mikey. You two are getting along better now that...," she trailed off.  
  
"You mean, now that I'm clean and sober, right, Ma?" Mikey asked. "It's okay. I'm not proud of the way I was."  
  
The man just sat and listened to the conversation, taking in all the details. Finally, Mikey stood up. "Gotta get to work. Talk to you later," he said, leaning over and giving his mother a kiss goodbye.  
  
"Okay. Have a good night," Rose said as Mikey reached the door. He turned to face her again and yelled over. "Hey, Ma. Did Mo talk to you about next week, for your birthday?" Rose shook her head no.  
  
"Well, we're gonna take you out on the town for the night, so get someone to mind the bar, okay?"  
  
"Ah, a night with my two favorite men," Rose said with a smile. Mikey waved and then he was gone.  
  
The man finished his drink, put money on the bar and started to leave.  
  
"Sir, you forgot your change!" Rose called after the man, who'd put a $100 bill on the counter for a $4.50 drink.  
  
"Keep it. Happy birthday next week," the man said cheerfully, going through the door before she could thank him.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
Mikey was walking toward his job. He'd just gotten off the subway in a not-so-nice side of town where he was a night watchman for a company with a questionable reputation. But, he had to start somewhere to prove himself. No one would hire an ex-junkie, ex-con at the Trump Towers.  
  
He just passed the alley and was at the building when he thought he heard something behind him. He slowed and started to look over his shoulder when he was struck near the temple with something hard. Everything went black and he fell to the ground hard, unconscious.  
  
The man dragged him into the alley and stood over him, as if thinking. Then he took a piece of paper and pen out of his pocket. He scribbled a note and stuffed it into Mikey's coat before checking to make sure that he was still alive. Assured that he was alive, he calmly walked out of the alley and back toward the subway.  
  
The old bum that had been by the dumpster waited a few minutes before moving, making sure that the man was gone. He slowly crawled over toward the unconscious figure and looked at him. In the light from the streetlight he could see blood on the side of his head. He felt around in Mikey's pockets and found his wallet. He took it and headed down the alley, pulling the small amount of money from the wallet and thinking of the new bottle of booze he'd buy with it.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^**^  
  
Bosco had had a quiet night at work. He went by the address that Paul Richards had given only to find out that it was bogus. Unless this Paul guy had underwater breathing apparatus he wasn't living in the river, which is where the street number he gave him would be.  
  
He was sleeping soundly for a change when the sound of the phone ringing slowly broke through, waking him up. He reached for the phone as he looked at the clock. It was 6:30 in the morning. This couldn't be good news.  
  
"Hello. Boscorelli," he answered in a sleepy voice.  
  
"Bosco, it's Doc," came the voice from the other end.  
  
"What? Doc? What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up and waking up fully. If Doc was calling him, it must mean that someone was sick or something.  
  
"Bos. I'm here at Mercy. I think I just brought your brother in. He didn't have any ID, but it looks a lot like him. Somebody phoned in a man down in an alley. He's still unconscious. Maybe I'm wrong, but if not I thought you'd want to know," Doc explained.  
  
"Yeah, thanks, Doc. Where did you pick this guy up?" Bosco asked as he hurriedly got dressed. He grabbed a shirt from his drawer and finished buttoning his jeans on his way up the hallway.  
  
"Um, 22nd and 103rd. Somebody clocked him in the side of the head. I think he's gonna be okay, but he's still out cold," Doc explained.  
  
"Thanks, Doc. I'm on my way. I'm gonna pick up my Mom first. Can you hang there with him unless you get a call? You know, tell him I'm on the way in case he wakes up?" Bosco asked him.  
  
"Sure, Bos. It's been slow this morning anyway. We're in Trauma 4," Doc said before hanging up.  
  
Bosco grabbed his cell phone, keys, and off-duty gun, dialing his mother's number on the way down the stairs.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Hey, Doc. He awake yet?" Bosco asked, walking into the Emergency Room and finding Doc at the desk filling out the paperwork. He followed Doc's gaze to a windowed room near the desk and saw Mikey lying on the hospital bed.  
  
"Not yet. The doctor's in with him now. He's about to go to CT Scan, I think," Doc relayed. "Henderson and Williams are in the lounge filling out the police report. I think they canvassed the immediate area, but no one saw or heard anything."  
  
"Thank you for taking care of him," Rose said, shaking Doc's hand. Bosco introduced them and then walked into the room.  
  
"Doctor? I'm his brother. Is he gonna be okay?" Bosco asked Dr. Fields.  
  
"Hey, Bosco. Doc said you were on the way over. I think he's just got a pretty bad concussion. We're gonna take him to the scanner to rule out anything more serious," the doctor told him, as a moan suddenly came from Mikey.  
  
"Mr. Boscorelli. You're at Mercy Hospital. Your brother is here. You had a blow to the head, but you're going to be okay. Do you remember anything that happened?"  
  
Mikey tried to sit up, but immediately fell back as a wave of dizziness and nausea attacked him. "Ahh," he said, putting his hands up to his head and shading his eyes from the overhead light. Dr. Fields reached over and turned off the light. "No. I mean, I was walking to work - just got off the subway. I heard something and started to turn, then nothing."  
  
"Okay, Mikey. It's okay now. They said you didn't have any ID on you, so you must have gotten mugged or somethin'," Bosco said, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Ma's outside. I'll go get her."  
  
"Mr. Boscorelli, we're going to take you over to CT Scan, just to make sure there's no fracture in your skull. We'll keep you here for at least 24 hours just to make sure there're no complications. As soon as we make sure you're okay neurologically, we'll get you something for the headache that I'm sure you have," Dr. Fields said as Rose came into the room.  
  
"Mikey? Are you okay?" Rose said, going to Mikey's side. Dana, one of the nurses, came over to Bosco as Dr. Fields explained Mikey's condition to Rose.  
  
"Bosco. Here's the things he had when he came in. You might want to keep them so they don't get misplaced," she said hesitantly.  
  
"Thanks, Dana," Bosco said.  
  
"I found a note in his jacket pocket - it fell out when I was taking off his clothes to examine him. I gave it to the two officers. It was creepy," she said, a nervous look on her face.  
  
"Thanks again, Dana," Bosco said, leaving to find the two officers.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^**^*  
  
Bosco found Henderson and Williams just finishing up their paperwork. "Hey guys, how's it going?" Bosco said, shaking their hands.  
  
"Hey, Bosco. Doc said he looked like your brother. He going to be alright?" Henderson asked him.  
  
"Yeah. He's hard-headed," Bosco joked.  
  
"Ahh, it must run in the family," Williams retorted and they all chuckled.  
  
"The nurse said she found a note that she gave you guys?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, it's kind of weird. We were gonna ask him about it when he woke up," Williams said, handing the note over to Bosco.  
  
Bosco read it: "So, it should have been a get well card, not a sympathy card. I just didn't have the heart to kill him right before your mother's birthday. You see, I'm not that much of an animal. You won't be so lucky the next time. Paul."  
  
"Dammit," Bosco said, grabbing a bag off the counter in the lounge and putting the note into it. Maybe they'd be able to get some prints off it. "Do me a favor and give this to the detectives when you get to the house. Tell them I'll be over just as soon as I make sure Mikey's okay," Bosco told them.  
  
"Okay, Bosco. You want one of us to stay here with you?" Henderson asked him. All shifts were briefed no what was going on with Bosco in case anyone suspicious came asking around for or about him.  
  
"Nah. We'll be okay. Thanks, guys," Bosco said again and went to the phone to call the detectives and let them know what was going on.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
TBC... 


	14. Chapter 14

Revenge  
  
Chapter 14  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I want to try it, Lieu," Bosco said, urging his boss to agree to his idea. "I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of me."  
  
"I don't like it. It could send this guy over the edge. Whoever he goes after next might not be as lucky as your brother," Lieutenant Swersky threw out for Bosco to think about.  
  
"I think he's already over the edge, Lieu. I don't think he'll come after anyone but me. I'll make sure of it - I won't have anyone else around me. He won't be able to resist," Bosco continued to try to convince him.  
  
"That's the part right there that I don't like," Swersky said, looking straight at Bosco.  
  
"I want to do this, Lieu. I can't stand this waiting around," Bosco said, looking straight back. "I can't just wait for him to attack my mother or... someone else."  
  
Everyone was quiet for a moment, looking around at each other. Lieutenant Swersky paced a few steps and finally turned back to Bosco and the detectives. "Okay. BUT, I want you to make sure he's covered completely. I don't want any mistakes."  
  
"We'll do everything we can, Lieutenant," replied the lead detective on the case.  
  
"I'm late for a meeting with the Chief," Swersky said, gathering up a folder from his desk and walking around it toward the door. "Keep me posted on when this is going down. I want to be in the House. No hero stuff, Boscorelli. That's an order. I don't want to have to call your mother," he said, walking through the door and down the hallway.  
  
The detectives looked at Bosco. "He loves me like a son," he joked with them matter-of-factly.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"What's going on with this Boscorelli situation?" asked the Chief.  
  
"He's working with the detectives and Anti Crime. They're gonna set up a scenario to lure him out," the Lieutenant explained.  
  
The Chief thought for a moment and then looked at the Lieutenant, sensing his feelings. "But I can tell you aren't comfortable with the idea."  
  
The Lieutenant shrugged. "I guess I'm okay with it - as much as I can be when any of my officers are in danger. He's all for it. First, his partner's kids were terrorized and now his brother was attacked by this guy. He's had enough waiting around. He wants to deal with this guy himself. But, I know he'll follow procedure."  
  
"This Boscorelli. He's had problems before if I recall," the Chief brought up.  
  
Swersky nodded. "Yes, he has. But, he's a changed person. I've seen it over the last year or so. He's finally got his head on straight. He's a good cop," the Lieutenant said with pride.   
  
They'd gotten close over the last year. He thought back to that day in roll call. He'd sensed that Bosco was at the end of his grip. After Cruz and his short-term break-up with his partner, he'd seen it in his eyes. He finished giving out the information in roll call. Everyone broke apart to hit the streets and he just happened to make eye contact and he saw it. The same look that his first partner had - about six months before he ate his own gun. He didn't know what to do all those years ago, but he'd made a vow to himself not to let it happen to Boscorelli. He talked to people and finally he'd been able to break through his barrier with the help of Faith Yokas.  
  
He just began seeing the look he'd seen before all the stuff had happened. And now this.   
  
"Lieutenant?" the Chief said, breaking into his thoughts. "Are we done then?"  
  
"Yes, Sir. I'll get on this new procedure right away and make sure all the shifts are aware of it," Swersky said, saluting his superior officer before leaving the office.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Another uneventful shift. Uneventful and lonely. He hated riding around by himself. He couldn't wait to catch this guy and work with Faith again. Tomorrow would be the day that the reporter would do a ride-a-long with him. They'd put the teaser on tonight's news - "Tune in tomorrow when Kelly Peters will ride-a-long with one of NYPD's finest - Officer Maurice Boscorelli. Find out how these every day heroes deal with the perils of the street and beyond. You see, Officer Boscorelli is a hunted man - hunted by someone in his past. Tune in tomorrow to get the details."  
  
Now, he sat at Haggerty's, sipping a beer as he tried to unwind from his shift and the possibility of an attack out of nowhere. He turned quickly, grabbing the wrist attached to the hand that just landed on his shoulder a he rose up off the bar stool, ready to defend himself.  
  
"Ouch!" Trisha yelled. He released her wrist and drew in a sharp breath.  
  
"I'm sorry! Are you alright?" he asked, gently taking her arm and checking her wrist as the red mark appeared.  
  
"What the hell was that all about?!" Trisha said angrily.  
  
"I'm sorry. I thought. I'm sorry. Are you okay? What are you doing here?" he asked.  
  
"No. I'm sorry. I forgot all about that. I never should have snuck up on you like that. I just missed you and I thought that maybe you'd stop in here after work. I wanted to see how you were doing," she said apologetically.  
  
He pulled her in and gave her a hug. "No. I'm sorry. I just,... You surprised me is all," he said, releasing her. "I missed you too. You want a drink?" he asked, looking around to see if it appeared anyone was watching them.  
  
"Sure. Captain Morgan and coke, please," she told the bartender. Bosco indicated that he was okay with the beer he had. The bartender brought her drink and after throwing some money onto the bar, Bosco led her over to a table in the corner that had just opened up.  
  
She started to sit down, but he quickly took her by the waist and moved her to the other side of the table so that he could have his back to the wall and face anyone coming toward them. He felt the holster on his right hip that held his off duty gun. He didn't like wearing it when he was in a bar - too many drunks could lose control and start a fight. All he'd need would be to have one of them see the gun and try to take it and shoot him with it. But, these days he felt safer with it than without it.  
  
"You look terrible," Trisha said to him, putting a hand on the side of his face. He felt the warmth of her hand and it relaxed him a little.  
  
"Thanks a lot," he said with a smile looking into her eyes. "I really have missed you," he said again.  
  
"Why don't we do something to rectify that?" she said to him, lowering her hand and taking hold of his on the table.  
  
"Mmmm. I'd like nothing more. But, I can't," he said, trailing off.  
  
"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. We'll just make sure that we're not followed. It will be like an adventure," she said, with a look of excitement in her eyes.  
  
Bosco smiled. "No. I can't take the chance. This jag-off attacked Mikey last night," he told her.  
  
"Oh my God! Is he okay?" she asked, suddenly concerned.  
  
"Yeah. A concussion and some stitches in his head. This 'Paul" sent me a sympathy card on my loss day before yesterday. He was going to kill him, but he must have been in my Ma's bar and heard that it was her birthday next week. Left her a $100 tip. Anyway, he left there and followed Mikey to work. He ended up just beating him up. He left a note on him that said he just couldn't bear killing my mother's son right before her birthday," he told her.  
  
"Jesus," she said in shock.  
  
"So, you see. I can't take that chance. Not with someone that I love," he said, looking her in the eye. Her breath caught at his words and then she smiled.  
  
"But, you need to get some sleep or you won't be able to fight back against this guy," she said, concerned.  
  
"I'll be okay. Hopefully, it'll all be over with tomorrow. You'll have to watch the news tonight and tomorrow," he said and then filled her in.  
  
"I don't like it, Maurice. I'm afraid for you," she said anxiously.  
  
"I'll be fine. This 'Paul" is the one who should be worried. I promise, I'll be fine," he assured her, seeing the worry and disbelieve in her eyes.  
  
"Look. I need to get home and get some sleep, but I want to make sure you get home first," he said as he stood up and looked around again. She stood also. "I'll get you a cab and I want you to go straight home. When you get home, I want you to call me," he told her.  
  
"Promise me, you'll be careful," she said.  
  
"It'll all be over soon and then we can pick up this conversation where we left off," he said, leaning over and kissing her. He walked her to the door and out.  
  
He hailed a cab for her and when she was safely away, he looked around and headed to his car, checking to make sure his cell phone was turned on.  
  
He'd just put the key into the door of his car when he felt himself being pulled off balance. He fell to the ground alongside his car and his surprise was replaced by pain as he was struck from under the car with some kind of a metal pipe. He fought for a moment to right himself, but lost out to the blackness that took him over.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	15. Chapter 15

Revenge  
  
Chapter 15  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Paul Richards crawled out from under Bosco's car and stayed in a crouched position alongside an unconscious Bosco. He grabbed the keys that had fallen to the ground and opened the door. Flipping the front seat forward, he grabbed Bosco under the arms and folded him into the floor area of the backseat.  
  
Still slightly crouched, he climbed into the car and drove away, not turning he headlights on until he was two streets away. He didn't notice that Bosco's cell phone had fallen out of his jacket pocket and lay on the sidewalk.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Officer Christopher Scott and his girlfriend walked out of Haggerty's about 45 minutes after Bosco had been taken away by Paul Richards. He was walking his girlfriend to her apartment which just happened to be down the street from the bar. As they reached the area where Bosco's car had been parked, their conversation was interrupted by the faint sound of a cell phone ringing.   
  
Chris grabbed his phone out of his pocket, wondering who could be calling him at 2:30 in the morning since his girlfriend was with him. After pulling out his phone, he realized that it wasn't his.  
  
"Is that your phone ringing, Pam?" he asked his girlfriend.  
  
"No. I have the funny ring on mine, remember?" she replied. As Chris and Pam looked around, the ringing stopped. Chris looked into the dark alley to see if he could see anyone in the ally.  
  
"Hey! Is anyone down there?" he called. There was no answer.  
  
"Maybe it was someone walking down the alley and they reached the other end," his girlfriend suggested.  
  
"Probably," he said, trying to ignore his 'cop sense of danger.' "So, where were we?" he asked the girl as they started to walk away again, their arms around each other. They'd taken about five steps when the ringing started again.  
  
Chris turned and followed the ring this time and saw the phone lying on the street, up against the curb. He picked it up and opened it.  
  
"Hello?" he said into the phone.  
  
"Who is this?" came the woman's voice on the other end.  
  
"This is Patrolman Christopher Scott, NYPD," he answered.  
  
"Oh, Officer Scott. Could you please get Bosco for me?" she requested, thinking that Bosco may have left his phone on the table while he went to the men's room or something at Haggerty's.  
  
"Um, Ma'am, I found this phone lying in the road, ringing. Who are you looking for?" Chris asked the woman.  
  
"I'm looking for Officer Maurice Boscorelli. He's with the 55th Precinct. This is his phone that you found," Trisha told him, getting concerned.  
  
"Well, he must have dropped his phone. But, I'll definitely drop the phone by the 55th on my way home. He can pick it up there," Chris offered.  
  
"No, you don't understand. You need to look around for him. Do you see his blue mustang anywhere there? It was parked near the alley to the left of Haggerty's," she said, more concern evident in her voice.  
  
"No, ma'am, its not, but I'm standing right in that spot and that's where I found his phone. I'm sure he doesn't even realize he's lost it," Chris said, trying to calm the woman and having no idea of the danger that Bosco had been in for the past several days.  
  
"No. You need to call the police. He's been in danger and he's not answering at home. Please, just stay there and I'll call his Lieutenant. They're going to want to talk to you. Please just stay there okay?" Trisha pleaded.  
  
"Okay, okay. I'll wait right here. You say he's in danger, what kind of danger?" Chris asked, turning to look back down in the alley. "Do you have a flashlight at home?" he whispered to his date. She nodded yes and told him she'd go get it for him.  
  
"No. I need to call his Lieutenant. Just please stay there," Trisha pleaded.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere, ma'am," Chris said as the line went dead and he waited for his girlfriend to return with a flashlight. When she'd returned, he handed the phone to her and told her to go over and stand near the front of Haggerty's to be safer. He turned on the light and headed into the alley to see if he saw anyone hurt or worse.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
"55th Precinct, Sergeant Fulsom," came the voice when Trisha called.  
  
"My name is Trisha Miller and I'm a friend of Maurice Boscorelli. I was supposed to call him on his cell phone when I got home and when I did someone else answered his phone. Look, I don't know if you know what's been happening with him, but I need someone to get over to Haggerty's," she said too fast.  
  
"Whoa. Hold up, Ma'am. I know who Maurice Boscorelli is and I know what's been going on. Now, please slow down and start again," Sergeant Fulsom told her in a calm voice in an attempt to calm her down.  
  
"Sorry. I was with Maurice at Haggerty's bar. I got in a cab to go home and he told me to call him on his cell phone so that he'd know I got home okay," she started again and then the speed of her conversation started to pick up again.  
  
"Okay, Ms. Miller is it?"  
  
"Yes," she answered, calming again.  
  
"Okay, stay calm and go on," said the officer, covering the mouthpiece and telling one of the other officers walking by the desk to get a detective downstairs and to call Lieutenant Swersky at home right away.  
  
"Okay. Anyway, I got home and I called his cell phone. No one answered the first few times so I tried his apartment and got no answer there either. I called his cell phone again and someone else answered it - an Officer Christopher Scott he said his name was. He said he found the phone lying in the road outside of Haggerty's and answered it when it rang. He said that Maurice wasn't around anywhere and I asked him to see if his car was still parked outside. He said it wasn't. I'm really worried," she said finishing.  
  
"Okay. We've got units on the way to Haggerty's and Bosco's apartment. Do you know if Officer Scott still at Haggerty's?" the Sergeant asked as one of the detectives came down from their offices upstairs. The other officer was getting Lieutenant Swersky on the phone.  
  
"Yes. I asked him to stay there and wait and he said that he would. Someone needs to tell his Lieutenant," Trisha suggested.  
  
"I'm already calling him and I have the detectives here with me as well. I need to get some more information from you though, ma'am," he said. "Hold on the line for just a moment while I fill in the Lieutenant, okay?"  
  
"Yes, okay," Trisha said, the knot in her stomach tightening. While she was on hold, she grabbed her cell phone out of her purse and tried dialing Bosco's house again.  
  
"Maurice, it's Trisha. Please call me as soon as you get this message. I'm really worried about you," she said, leaving a message on his answering machine.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Lieutenant, this is Sergeant Fulsom. I've got a woman on the phone that says she's a friend of Boscorelli and that he's missing. An off-duty found his cell phone in the road outside of Haggerty's. We've got units on the way there now and I'm just about to fill in the detectives," Fulsom advised.  
  
"I'm on my way in. I want every available person on this right now," the Lieutenant said.  
  
"Yes, Sir," replied Fulsom.   
  
"I'll be there in ten minutes," Swersky said, hanging up the phone. "Dammit," he muttered under his breath, trying not to wake up his wife as he dressed and left for the precinct.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Paul Richards was driving around. He hadn't really been ready for this opportunity to present itself. He was looking through the window of Bosco's car and watching Bosco from a safe distance when he saw him come out of the bar with a girl. He ducked under the car to hide, grabbing a piece of metal pipe that was laying on the sidewalk near the alleyway.  
  
It had been a spur of the moment decision to take him now, but he wasn't really ready. He heard a soft moan from the backseat of the car and reached over to grab the metal pipe again in case he needed it. But, the noise stopped and he continued to drive.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Bosco briefly came-to for a moment. He felt the motion of the car and tried to move. The attempt at moving made his head feel like it was going to explode and a wave of dizziness and nausea attacked him. He felt the blackness overtake him again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	16. Chapter 16

Revenge  
  
Chapter 16  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Faith, dear. The phone is for you. A Lieutenant somebody," said her mother-in-law as she brought the phone to her.  
  
It was a sunny afternoon and she had been in the yard hanging out with the kids and Fred. It had been a long time since she'd been able to do this and everyone was getting along great. Fred had gone inside to watch the ballgame on television with his father a little while ago and that left Faith with Emily and Charlie.  
  
Faith's brow furrowed slightly as she took the phone from her mother-in-law, kind of sad that everything must have been solved and she had to return to work. That must be what the Lieutenant was calling about.  
  
"Hello. This is Faith Yokas," she answered into the phone.  
  
"Yokas," Lieutenant Swersky said tensely into the phone. "Have you heard from Boscorelli?"  
  
"What? No, Lieu. Not since a couple of days ago. He called to make sure everything was okay here. What's going on?" she asked, sitting up in the chair.  
  
"We got a call from some friend of his last night saying that she couldn't reach him and that he was expecting her call. An off-duty, Christopher Scott, out of the 5-7, found his cell phone on the street outside of Haggerty's and his car isn't at his apartment. We had the landlord open his apartment and there's no sign of him. Anything strange happening there?" the Lieutenant asked.  
  
Faith stood up and began to pace back and forth on the couch. Emily noticed her mother's change of attitude and watched her.  
  
"God, Lieu. No. Everything here's been great. I'm coming back," Faith said with concern in her voice.  
  
"No. Not yet. He hasn't even been gone for 24 hours yet. Knowing him, he's shacked up with some girl somewhere," the Lieutenant said, not really believing it himself.  
  
"No. What was the name of the girl that called looking for him?" Faith asked.  
  
"Umm," the Lieutenant said while he looked back through the papers.   
  
"Was it Trisha?" Faith offered.  
  
"Yeah," Swersky replied, finding it in the papers. "Trisha Miller."  
  
"She's the real thing, Lieu. He's not shacked up somewhere if he's not with her. I'm coming back. I'll be there in an hour," Faith stated again, hanging up the phone.  
  
"Mom?" Emily asked with a worried look on her face. "Is Bosco okay?"  
  
Faith put a hand on her daughter's shoulder and looked at Charlie who'd heard the conversation as well. "I don't know, guys. I hope so. Nobody can find him right now. I have to go help look for him," she told them and the look on their faces told her they understood.  
  
"You guys'll be fine here, with your Dad and your Grandma and Grandpa. I'll call you as soon as I can okay?" Faith told them.  
  
"Okay. Be careful, Mom," Emily said after Faith had kissed and hugged both children. She turned and walked into the kitchen from the back porch as Fred was coming out of the living room, a somber look on his face.  
  
"Faith. You better come see this," he told her and she followed him into the living room to the television.  
  
The game had finished and they were watching the early news. Faith sat on the couch and listened as the news program came back from commercial.  
  
"Again, with our lead-in story. As you know, we reported yesterday that our own Kelly Peters was supposed to be riding along with one of NYPD's police officers today. This officer has been having problems with someone from his past - someone that officials believe he may have arrested or had dealings with in the past through his job as a police officer. Apparently, this officer - Maurice Boscorelli - is now missing," the reporter said as they put Bosco's picture up on the screen. "We now go to Kelly Peters, who is at the 55th Precinct at King and Arthur."  
  
"Thanks, Martin. According to sources inside the police department that do not wish to be named, Officer Boscorelli disappeared sometime last night after his shift and was reported missing by his girlfriend. While we don't have any particulars, we have found out that his cell phone was found lying in the street outside of a bar, Haggerty's, frequented by off-duty police officers. We've tried to get someone from the department to speak with us on camera, but they are refusing at this time until they know more. All they will say is that they are actively pursuing some leads and are confident that they'll be able to bring this to a safe conclusion.  
  
"Now, we did speak with, as we said, some unnamed sources and they tell us that Officer Boscorelli's partner and her family have been out of town since two days ago when his partner's kids were apparently the victims of an attack by this man at a park near their home. The alleged perpetrator left the scene before police arrived and the officer and her family left for their safety. No one was injured during that incident. Another story says that Boscorelli's brother, Micheal Boscorelli - an ex-con and recovering drug addict - was attacked by someone that police believe is the same man, and hospitalized. He has since been released and is at home recovering.  
  
"We will remain here at the 55th Precinct and let you know of any further developments. While it has not been the official 24-hours since Officer Boscorelli's disappearance, we have been asked by the police to relay that if anyone has any information on Officer Boscorelli's whereabouts, please contact the number we are displaying at the bottom of your screen. Martin," Kelly Peters finished, sending the cameras back to the newsroom.  
  
"Thanks Kelly, and all of us here at Channel 2 are hoping for a good result from this. We'll keep that number running along the bottom of your screen throughout the broadcast. Again, anyone having any information on the whereabouts of Officer Maurice Boscorelli, or any information on this case, please contact our station or the number shown. You can remain anonymous." Bosco's picture was again put on the screen.  
  
"Now, onto a quick check of the weather before we give you the rest of the top stories...," said the reporter as Fred turned off the television.  
  
"Faith?" Fred said to her.  
  
"I have to go back, Fred. That was the Lieutenant that called a minute ago to tell me about Bosco missing. I have to go back and help find him," she told him.  
  
"What about this whacko out there, Faith? He came after the kids and Bosco's brother already. It's not safe," Fred said with concern.  
  
Faith shook her head. "No. He's got Bosco. He's not coming after anyone else. I have to go back, Fred. I'm going back," she said, standing up and walking down the hall to gather her things with Fred following her.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Bosco slowly felt his world coming back to him. He smelled bacon cooking. And toast. With the pain in his head and the ringing in his ears, the smell made him sick to his stomach. He felt that he was on a cool, hard surface - a floor maybe - and he slowly opened his eyes. The room started to spin and he closed them quickly, a moan escaping from his lips.  
  
He heard footsteps approaching and mentally chastised himself for making any noise and giving away that he was now conscious - even though he wasn't exactly sure what had happened.   
  
"So, you're finally coming to. I was worried that I'd killed you prematurely," came the mean voice above him.  
  
Bosco made no move indicating that he was conscious, until he felt the shoe hit him in the ribs as he was kicked.  
  
Bosco drew in a sharp breath and tried to tuck into a ball to protect his ribs from further abuse. It was then that he realized that his feet and arms were tied. He tried to open his eyes and get a look at his captor. It took a moment or two until his eyes were able to focus. The pounding in his head became worse as the light hit his eyes.  
  
"Awww, you have a headache, Maurice?" the angry man asked. Bosco didn't answer, mainly because he thought if he opened his mouth, he'd throw up. Obviously, he had a concussion at least from whatever he was hit with.  
  
He was caught off-guard when the man reached down and grabbed him with both hands. He pulled him to a sitting position and the sudden movement made the room spin. He thought he'd lose consciousness again, but fought it - instead throwing up on the floor alongside himself.  
  
"Aagghh," the man said in disgust, releasing Bosco and stepping back. "Maybe you're hurt a little worse than I thought. Maybe I should give you some time to recover so that I can enjoy killing you later," he said, leaving to get something to clean up the mess that Bosco had made.  
  
Bosco slumped to the side, against the wall, trying to catch his breath and make the room stop spinning.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	17. Chapter 17

Revenge  
  
Chapter 17  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Lieu?" Faith said as she walked into the station and found him at the desk. "Anything?" she asked as he turned toward her.  
  
Immediately news cameras were on her and a bright light was shining on her. "Are you Officer Boscorelli's partner? What do you think happened? Do you think he's still alive, Officer Yokas?" Kelly Peters and others clamored after her.  
  
"Swanson! I want these news people outside! Now!" Swersky ordered as the officer immediately began shuffling the reporters and cameramen outside.  
  
"Lieu, any news yet? Have we even heard from this guy? I mean, maybe he just wants ransom money," Faith suggested.  
  
"No. No calls yet, Faith. We have all available units out and most of the off-duty guys have come back in to help. I've ordered the guys from the next shift home so at least we'll have enough guys ready to work later on. Everything okay with your family?" the Lieutenant asked, walking down the hallway with Faith towards the office where they set up a command post-like room.  
  
"Yeah. Everyone's fine. New Jersey sent a unit over to stand by at my in-laws' house. I have no idea how they even knew where I was," she said, looking at her boss.  
  
"I sent them over. They were only too willing to help. They wanted to know if we needed any guys to come over and help out with the search," he said.  
  
"Thanks, Lieu," Faith said.  
  
"Faith? Faith Yokas?" asked the young woman that had walked up behind them. Faith and the Lieutenant turned toward her.  
  
"Faith. This is Trisha Miller," said the Lieutenant, introducing the two to each other.  
  
Faith reached out and shook Trisha's hand. "He described you very well," Trisha said, trying to smile.  
  
"I've heard a lot about you as well," Faith said in return.  
  
"You came back to look for him, didn't you?" Trisha asked her. "He said he could trust you with his life. He thinks very much of you," she added.  
  
"Well, the feeling is mutual. I trust him with my life as well. Yes, I'm here to help find him and bring him home," Faith said.  
  
"When was the last time you talked to or saw him?" Faith asked Trisha as the two women went into another part of the office.  
  
The Lieutenant went over to the detectives to see if anything new had surfaced.   
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Ahhh, so you decided to join me again," the man said menacingly as Bosco woke up again. "I trust that you're more comfortable this time," he added sarcastically.  
  
Bosco slowly looked around, careful not to move too quickly. He saw that he was now in a living room, on an old, dusty couch. The drapes were drawn, but still some light came through, causing him to squint. The man was silhouetted against the daylight from behind him, keeping his identity hidden from Bosco. He tried to place the voice, but was unable to.  
  
"So...," Bosco started, his voice coming out as a croak. He cleared his throat and tried again. "So, what's this all about? I don't know you," he said clearly this time.  
  
"You don't know me? Well, I must say that it doesn't surprise me. I thought you'd be the type to just move on - oblivious to all you've done.  
  
"So tell me what I've done. I want to know. And then I want to know what you want from me," Bosco said, keeping a tough exterior.  
  
"Don't even begin to try to agitate me. You will lose. Do you understand? You WILL lose," Richards said to him through gritted teeth. He just stared at Bosco for a moment and then walked out of the room.  
  
Bosco looked around at more of his surroundings, trying to remember if he'd seen the place before. Nothing looked familiar. There were dusty pictures on the mantle and on the table, but he was unable to focus on them. The house had a closed-up, musty, dusty smell to it - like there hadn't been a window opened in years.  
  
Finally, his attention was brought back to the man coming back into the room carrying a tray. There was food on it and he placed it on the coffee table in front of Bosco. Bosco looked at it and realized that the hunger in his stomach was winning out over the nausea from the concussion. But, could he trust this food? The man held out a glass of water and four tablets that looked like aspirin.  
  
"Go on. Take it. Don't worry, I don't want you dead yet. I want you to have some of the pain and agony I've had these last years," Richards told him, shoving the water and pills closer to his mouth.  
  
Bosco's hands and feet were still bound together. Apparently, the man wanted him to open his mouth so that he could put the pills on his tongue. Bosco looked closely at the pills and decided that he would take them. After all, he couldn't really go far or think straight with the pounding.  
  
After Bosco took the pills and a drink offered by Richards, the man came around and untied one hand, allowing him to eat the food. "You've got five minutes to eat; then I tie your hand back up," he said, turning to abruptly leave. He stopped at the doorway.  
  
"Don't try anything stupid. I will be watching so don't try to get free," he said, stepping back into the shadows.   
  
Bosco sat forward as far as he could and examined his food, knowing that the man was watching him closely - just waiting for an excuse to hurt him more. He decided he'd just stick with the glass of water. He wasn't sure what this guy was up to. For all he knew, the food was poisoned.  
  
"You might as well take it away now. I'm not gonna eat it," Bosco said, sitting back against the back of the couch.  
  
"Don't trust me, eh?" said Richards, coming out of the shadows and taking the tray away. "We'll see how hungry you are in the morning. How about some television? Maybe you'd like to see how many people are looking for you. Of course, they'll never find you. No one remembers. No one but me," Richards said turning on the television and sitting on the chair across from Bosco.  
  
Bosco saw his own face flash onto the screen as Channel 2 ran a news update. The screen then flashed to the front desk of the 55th Precinct and he saw Faith coming through the front door being hit with a barrage of flashbulbs and questions. She didn't say anything and was ushered through the crowd by some uniformed officers. In the distance, Bosco could see Trisha standing at the side of the room and the knot in his stomach tightened.  
  
"As you can see, Martin, Officer Boscorelli's partner, Faith Yokas, has arrived back in town. We can only assume that she is here to help in the search for her partner. We have no new information to report right now, except to say that unending manpower is joining the search. There are off-duty officers coming in to offer assistance, as well as officers from other jurisdictions. I guess its true what they say - the police department is a family and an officer feels related to another officer - no matter where they are from. We'll stay here until there's any news. Back to you, Martin," finished the reporter.  
  
"Thanks, Kelly. We'll check in periodically. Once again, the police are looking for this man, Officer Maurice Boscorelli. He's been missing since last night - last seen leaving this bar," the anchor reported as the picture split to show Bosco and Haggerty's. "Anyone with any information is asked to contact the number that will remain at the bottom of your screen, or this station. Police advise that you can remain anonymous. We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming."  
  
"Well, your quite the celebrity now," Richards said, turning off the television. Bosco was having trouble focusing again, as well as difficulty in staying awake.  
  
"Well, I see the codeine in those Tylenol tablets is kicking in. You should have a nice nap. I'll see you in the morning, Maurice," he said, tying his hand back up. Bosco struggled slightly, but was unable to fight off the man, both due to his head injury and the drugs.  
  
He was stunned when the man reached out and punched him in the same spot he'd been struck with the pipe. "I'm telling you not to push me. You WILL lose," he said as he struck him again, this time knocking Bosco out againand opening up the wound on his head. He left him tied up and slumped on the couch, turning off the lights. Before he left the room, though, he moved one of the pictures closer to Bosco. He looked at the picture for a moment and then left the room.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*  
  
"Rose, this is Trisha. She's a close friend of Bosco's," Faith said, introducing the two to each other. "Trisha, this is Bosco's Mom, Rose, and his brother, Michael."  
  
The three of them went over to sit down and talk. Faith had told Rose about Trisha and Bosco. She watched as they all got to know each other and tell each other about Bosco. "Boy, he's gonna kill me," Faith thought to herself.  
  
She'd decided to go through all of Bosco's arrests since they had started fresh out of the Academy. It had to be in there somewhere. She just hoped that something would jog her memory in time.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	18. Chapter 18

Revenge  
  
Chapter 18  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Faith had been going through files for so long she couldn't see straight anymore. The aroma of a fresh coffee brought her attention from the files to the doorway where she found Kim, Jimmy and Billy Walsh.  
  
"Hey guys! What're you doing here?" Faith asked, standing up and stretching.  
  
"We came to see if there was anything we could do to help out. We're just sitting over there across the street, watching everyone come and go. Every once in a while the news cameras light up and there's a flurry, but nothing is really happening," Kim said, handing her the coffee  
  
Faith took the cup, inhaled deeply and smiled. "Thanks, guys. I don't think there is much going on. I'm just going through all of Bosco's arrests and reports since he started, fresh out of the Academy. There's really nothing else to go on. I just have a gut feeling that this guy's from Bosco's past somehow," Faith said, absently thumbing threw the papers and looking at the various piles.  
  
"Any way we can help you look? Maybe organize them in some order somehow?" Billy offered.  
  
"I'm trying to look at them in chronological order. That way, maybe if something does strike me, I'll be seeing it in order," she said, shrugging.  
  
"Well, how about we go through these and pile them by date - oldest at the top? Then, you can just sit and read," Jimmy said.  
  
Faith looked at the three of them and finally Kim said, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," Faith said quickly. "It's just that.., well.., I didn't think there was any love lost between you guys and Bosco. I'm surprised, that's all."  
  
"Don't get me wrong, we love busting on Bosco. But, when all is said and done, the fire department and police department here at King and Arthur are family. We all take care of each other - we all have concern for each other," Kim said.  
  
"Yeah - Bosco's like the runt of the family. They always get picked on the most," Jimmy kidded.  
  
"Yeah, but they're usually the toughest of the group too," Billy added and they all agreed that if anyone could make it through this, it would be Bosco.  
  
And so, they started organizing while Faith quickly made a trip to the ladies room and to check in with the Lieutenant.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Bosco slowly opened his eyes and let them adjust to the light. He was still groggy from the drug, but at least his head didn't hurt. He felt the tightness on the side of his head from where the cut had been opened again. The blood was now dried, but he could feel it was there. He rearranged himself on the old, worn couch, straightening out his legs trying to get the stiffness out of his joints.  
  
His eyes slowly adjusted. He looked at the table and saw the picture that had been placed there. He looked at it for a moment, but didn't recognize the girl in the picture. He looked around the room. The sky was just starting to lighten, but it was still dark in the room due to the curtains being drawn. There was an opening in the curtains and Bosco tried to look through to see where he was. He pulled on his restraints to see if they would give at all now that he was feeling a little stronger. They moved slightly, but he heard a noise from the other room and pretended to still be unconscious. "No use giving this guy a chance to smack me again," he thought to himself as he listened to the man walk into the room.  
  
Bosco lay very still on the couch and managed to remain still despite the surprise of the man kicking the couch to see if he would flinch. He then felt the man reach down and feel for his pulse. He concentrated on keeping his breathing slow and steady so as not to alert the man that he was actually awake.  
  
"Hmmph," Richards said under his breath as he set the glass of juice on the table alongside Bosco. He heard Richards walk back down the hallway and opened one eye to see that he was really gone.  
  
Again, Bosco opened his eyes and looked at the glass on the table. He was really thirsty, but he didn't want to be tricked again. He needed to remain alert and try to think of a way out of this. Suddenly, he remembered that his cell phone was in his pocket. He was surprised that he hadn't heard it ring at all and then worried that Trisha didn't make it home.  
  
But then he remembered seeing her on the news report last night, so he knew that she was with the police and safe. He felt in his pocket and found that his phone was missing.  
  
"Dammit," he whispered to himself and was startled when Richards appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Well, well, well. Sleeping Beauty has awakened," he said, walking in and sitting down.  
  
"Look. I've about had all I can stand of this. You've gotta know from the news last night that everyone is out looking for me. It's just a matter of time. The sooner you turn yourself in, the easier things will be on you," Bosco said, losing his patience.  
  
Richards stood up and walked over to Bosco. Bosco saw the anger in his eyes. "Easier on me? Easier on me?! What makes you think that anything over the last nine years has been easy on me?!?!" he bellowed. "Nothing was easy after that day!" he said, trembling with anger.   
  
Bosco didn't say anything. He just watched while this man reigned himself in. Richards picked up the glass of juice and held it out toward Bosco. "You must be thirsty and hungry. At least drink some orange juice," he offered.  
  
Bosco shook his head. "No," he said simply.  
  
"Fine," Richard said, putting the glass back on the table. "But, I've always thought orange juice was better when it was cold. Suit yourself."  
  
"I'm not gonna take anything from you. You tricked me once. It won't happen again," Bosco retorted.  
  
Without saying anything, Richards threw the morning newspaper on the table with the headlines showing. Bosco looked down and saw himself staring back underneath the words, "One of NYPD's Finest Missing!" There was a story that followed, but Bosco was not able to focus his eyes enough to read the fine print yet.  
  
"Look, I gotta hit the head," he said finally, showing no reaction to the newspaper article. Richards just looked at him for a moment. Finally, he said, "Don't make any sudden moves. I'm warning you."   
  
Pulling a gun from his waistband, Richards reached over with one hand and worked awkwardly to unfasten Bosco's restraints. After a few moments, he was done and he kept the gun trained on Bosco as he rose slowly - stiff from all the hours of inactivity.  
  
Richards backed away slightly to avoid Bosco trying to get the gun from him. Bosco looked around the room as he stretched his arms, legs, back and neck. He felt a little dizzy still and stood there to make sure he had his balance.  
  
"Bathroom's down the hall on your left. Leave the door open and don't try anything," Richards said, displaying the gun in plain sight to remind Bosco he had it. Bosco looked around again and walked down the hallway slowly. He walked into the bathroom and pushed the door shut behind him. Richards immediately opened it again.  
  
"I said leave the door open," he said angrily.  
  
"Sorry. Force of habit," Bosco replied. He wasn't about to show this guy any emotion. That's what he wanted. Bosco finished and moved over to the sink and mirror. He looked and saw the ugly bruise and gash on his head where he'd been struck. He turned on the water and let it run. He reached down and splashed cool water on his face and tried to wash away some of the dried blood. After drying his hands and face, he walked back out into the hallway where Richards was waiting, gun trained on him.  
  
"Where to?" Bosco asked nonchalantly as he looked around and saw the pictures hanging on the wall in the hallway. He stepped over and looked closer at them, trying to see if anything was familiar about them.   
  
Richards watched him look at the pictures. "Recognize anyone?" he asked Bosco.  
  
"Should I?" Bosco replied, looking over at Richards. Richards didn't answer and Bosco drew in a deep breath. "Look, when's the last time you opened a window around here?"  
  
He could see the anger rise in Richards again and then saw the man reign in it once more. "About eight years," Richards replied simply, an angry smile across his face. He raised the gun and pointed down the hallway, indicating that Bosco should return to the living room.  
  
Bosco returned the living room and Richards told him to sit down on the couch again. "No. Look, why don't you just tell me what's going on? Then, we can sort it out and be done with it," he said, turning toward Richards.  
  
Richards raised the gun. "You really don't remember, do you?" the man said, anger rising again, the gun pointed at Bosco.  
  
"No. I don't," Bosco replied. "Why don't you remind me."  
  
"Eight years ago, Officer Boscorelli. Eight years ago. Why don't you think back on that for a little while," Richard said, pushing Bosco down on the couch with the barrel of the gun. Bosco made a quick grab for the gun, but Richards was ready for it. He gripped the gun tighter and he fought over it with Bosco.  
  
Suddenly the gun went off and a shot rang out. Both men froze momentarily in the split second of the flash from the gun.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	19. Chapter 19

Revenge  
  
Chapter 19  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The young boy was running down alongside the old house chasing after his new puppy, Bailey. Lucas heard a loud bang and stopped, looking toward the window of the house. He knew no one was living there. He'd heard the neighborhood stories about how the house was haunted and so he wondered what the noise might have been. He decided that it was more important to catch his new puppy and that he'd come back later to explore the noise in the old, run-down house. Besides, he needed to bring his friends back with him in case the house really was haunted.  
  
He continued down the driveway that ran along the house and just managed to catch sight of Bailey's tail and hind legs as he squeezed through the crack between the garage door and the wall.   
  
"Bailey!" Lucas called into the darkened garage between the cracks, fearful of disturbing whoever or whatever was inside the house. Bailey gave a high-pitched puppy bark indicating to Lucas that he wanted to play. He loved to hide around the house and have Lucas come looking for him.  
  
"We can't play in here, Bailey. C'mon out, boy," Lucas called to the dog. He was answered with another puppy bark and he knew that he wasn't coming out. He'd have to go in after him.  
  
Lucas turned to his side and managed to wiggle his way into the garage through the same crack that Bailey had gone through. It was very dark, but he could make out the shape of a car. He called around for Bailey and was rewarded with a nip at his ankle that scared him to death. Lucas jumped and landed against the car, hitting his chest on the car and knocking the wind out of himself. He managed to reach down at the same time and grab hold of Bailey's color, despite the fact that the dog was pulling away trying to get back under the car, scratching the paint off the car with his rabies and identifiation tags.  
  
Lucas kept hold of the dog long enough to get his breath back, rubbing his chest where he'd struck it against a rough spot on the car. Then he went out of the garage the way he'd come in. He started to walk back up the driveway with the dog, but while he was looking at the house he could swear he saw the curtain move slightly. He decided to go around the back of the house and cut through the neighbor's yard and then home.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Bosco felt the bullet hit him in the side as he fell back onto the couch. It had knocked the wind out of him and he fought to catch his breath while still holding onto the barrel of the gun. Suddenly, he felt both the pain from the bullet and the burning of his hands from the heat of the gun barrel. He let go of the gun barrel and grabbed at his side, breaking out in a sweat at the same time as the shock to his system was felt.  
  
"I told you not to be stupid!" Paul Richards yelled at him, pointing the gun at him again. This time, his hands were shaking. He didn't really are if Boscorelli died right now or not. The only thing that concerned him was whether any of the neighbors had heard the gun go off. He looked out the window and saw that it didn't appear that anyone was outside at the time.  
  
He released the curtain and it swayed slightly for a moment. He looked back at the injured officer who was trying to assess his injuries. "Let me see!" he said meanly, pointing the gun at and walking toward Bosco.  
  
Bosco leaned back against the couch and let Richards look at the wound. He could feel the blood trickle down his side and start to be absorbed by his jeans and shirt.  
  
"Sit forward," Richards ordered so that he could see if there was an exit wound. There wasn't. He tied Bosco's hands and feet again. "Just stay still while I go get something to bandage it with. I don't need your blood all over the place," Richards said unsympathetically.  
  
Bosco sat on the couch and looked around for a way to get out. He didn't know how far he'd make it in his condition. He didn't know how bad it was, but he remembered from when Doc got shot when they were stuck below street level. Carlos had said something about maybe he was lucky even though the bullet didn't come out the other side of Doc. He didn't know how accurate his memory was - he was more worried about getting everyone out of there.  
  
Richards came back into the living room with some bandages and tape and saw the ashen look on Bosco's face and beads of sweat on his forehead. "He must be getting shocky," he thought to himself. He put the gun into his waistband and, knowing that Bosco was secured, began dressing the wound. There was a good amount of blood coming from the wound. He'd keep an eye on it to see if it would slow down, or if he should just dump Bosco somewhere and be done with him.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Lucas! Where have you been? I've been looking for you. I told you not to leave the yard," Lucas's mother said, coming out the front door as he scurried up the driveway, Bailey in tow. "I was just about to call your father home from work to help look for you. Don't scare me like that again," she said, not letting Lucas get a word in.  
  
"But, Mom. Bailey got away. I had to catch him," he explained.  
  
"That dog!" she said, exasperated, but with a smile. "How'd you get the dirt all over you?" she asked.  
  
"Bailey ran into the garage of that haunted house," Lucas explained. "He wouldn't come out so I had to go in and get him," he said, rubbing the sore spot on his chest where he'd hit the car.  
  
"Well, go get cleaned up. Aunt Sarah's coming over and she's bringing Missy with her," his mother told him, waiting for the complaint.  
  
"Aw, Mom! She's such a girl! Besides, I was gonna go get Tommy and go exploring," Lucas whined.  
  
"Don't start, Lucas. You can explore with Missy. Just don't get into trouble," replied his mother. "God knows it'll do her good to get a little dirty. Aunt Sarah is really babying her since Tony went away," she said, more to herself than Lucas.  
  
Lucas started to object again, but his mother headed him off. "Aaah. That's it. You know she misses Uncle Tony since he's been in Iraq with his unit. Just try to keep her mind off of it for a while. That's all I ask," she said, leading him and Bailey into the house.   
  
Lucas went to his room and grabbed a clean shirt from his drawer. He took off the old one and went into his mother's room to look in her mirror at the bruise that was forming on his chest. It had letters within the bruise. "Hey, Mom. Look. I've got a tattoo!" he yelled proudly to her. She came in to look at what he was talking about.  
  
"Lucas! What happened?" she asked, bending down to her knees to look at the bruise reddish-purplish bruise that was forming.  
  
"I fell in that garage when I was getting Bailey. I hit the car and knocked the wind out of myself. Can you read it? What kind of car was it?" he asked excitedly.  
  
"Hmmm. I can't make out the whole thing, but if I had to guess, I'd say it was a mustang. We'll have to wait until the whole bruise shows up. You're sure you're okay? You can breathe okay and everything," asked his mother as she felt his rib cage to see if it hurt.  
  
"Yeah. I'm okay. Cool. I can't wait to show Dad when he gets home!" he yelled as he ran out of the room, Bailey at his heels.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	20. Chapter 20

Revenge   
  
Chapter 20  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Faith!" finally woke her up. She opened her eyes and saw Ty Davis standing over her as she lay on the couch in the back office of the 55th Precinct.  
  
"What?" she asked, sitting up quickly, scattering the folder that lay across her stomach onto the floor. "Did you find him?"  
  
"No. Not yet. How long have you been here, Faith?" Sully asked walking up behind Davis who had bent down to pick up the papers.  
  
"I don't know," she said, looking at her watch, realizing that she didn't have it on. "What time is it?"  
  
"3:00," Davis replied.   
  
"That's it? I've only been here for about 8 or 9 hours," she said, sitting forward and wiping the sleep out of her eyes, thinking that he meant 3:00 in the morning. She looked over at the table and saw that Kim, Jimmy and Billy had finished organizing the files for her. She didn't even remember them leaving. She must've fallen asleep before they left. "Great! That's really gonna do him a lot of good," she thought to herself with disgust.  
  
"No, Faith. It's 3:00 p.m. We're here for roll call," Sully explained. "You've been at this for almost 24 hours straight," he said, looking around at all the files.  
  
"Apparently not," she said sarcastically as she stood up and stretched. "I've gotta get dressed for roll call," she said suddenly, walking toward the door to head to the locker room.  
  
"You've got a few minutes, so don't worry," Davis said as Faith disappeared around the corner. Ty looked over at the pile of files. "You think it's in here?" he asked his partner.  
  
"I don't know, but I learned a long time ago not to ignore Faith's gut feelings. They're usually right on," Sully said. "C'mon. Let's head in."  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
"Okay, okay. Listen up. I know that all of you are concerned about Boscorelli, but there's stuff going on out there that has to be taken care of. So, no more letting the minor calls wait. The taxpayers of this City pay your salary and they expect that when they call, we come. Enough said on that.  
  
"As far as the search for Bosco, still no luck. We have a task force of officers working on it around the clock," Lieutenant Swersky said as Faith came into the room and all heads turned to look at her - the one who's partner was missing - glad that it wasn't one of them.  
  
"Yokas. What're you doing here?" Swersky asked her.  
  
"Workin', Lieu," she answered matter of factly, leaning against the bookcase as there were no seats left.  
  
The Lieutenant paused, then said, "See me after."  
  
"Yes, Sir," Faith replied, not about to be ordered home when her partner was missing.  
  
The Lieutenant finished roll call and sector assignments and sent everyone out on patrol. Faith walked from the back of the room up to the podium, waiting for Swersky to finish talking to the Sergeant. When he did, he turned back to her, saying nothing for a moment.  
  
"Are you sure you're up for working today? You've been here for almost 24 hours, Faith," he asked her.  
  
"Lieu. I'm not leaving until we find him. He'd do the same for any one of us here," she said.  
  
"I know. I had trouble ordering guys home to get some rest so we'd have fresh people if- WHEN - we needed them," the Lieutenant said.  
  
"Okay. So, are you going out on the streets or hanging here?" he asked her.  
  
"I guess I'll hit the streets for awhile. Find some of our informants and see if they've heard or seen anything," she answered him, grabbing her notebook, flashlight and the keys to 55-David off the desk.  
  
"Okay. Keep in touch. Do your thing. I'll keep you clear from calls as long as I can," Swersky said.  
  
"Thanks, Lieu," Faith said, turning to go, but then stopping and turning back toward him.  
  
"We're gonna find him, Lieu. He's gonna be okay, right?"  
  
"Absolutely, Faith. He's too damned stubborn for any less," the Lieutenant affirmed for her, although he wasn't so sure in his gut.  
  
She nodded, turned and left for her unit.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^***  
  
"We shouldn't go in there," Missy whined as Tommy and Lucas stood next to her behind the big tree next to the old house.  
  
"Then don't. But, you better not tell Mom and Aunt Sarah that I ditched you. Tell you what. You can be the lookout. You tell us if you hear or see someone coming," Lucas told her.  
  
"Aww, she's gonna go snitch on us," Tommy complained.  
  
"No she's not, right Missy?" Lucas said, looking at his cousin sternly. Missy shook her head 'no.'  
  
"Promise." Tommy said.  
  
"Promise," she said. "What's the signal in case someone's coming?" she asked them.  
  
"What?" Lucas asked her, not understanding what she was asking.  
  
"You know, what sound should I make if someone's coming?" she asked.  
  
Lucas and Tommy looked at each other and rolled their eyes.  
  
"Don't make fun of me! My Dad says they have ways of talking to each other when they're on maneuvers so the enemy can't hear them," Missy said defiantly.  
  
"Okay," Lucas said, softening a little. "Can you make the sound of an.... Owl?"  
  
"Yup," she answered happily and then showed them.  
  
"Okay. Good," he told her. "If you hear or see anything, make that sound for us so we know."  
  
"Okay. Be careful," Missy said, watching the boys start up the driveway. "You make that noise too if you get into trouble and need help," she told them.  
  
Lucas turned and waved to his cousin that he'd heard her.  
  
"Why'd you have to bring her along?" Tommy complained. "Did you hear that? Sounded like someone yelled," he said, looking over to the house.  
  
"I didn't hear anything. My Mom made me," Lucas answered and then felt guilty. "She's lonely and afraid 'cause her Dad's over in the war. She came over to get her mind off it for awhile," he added, looking over his shoulder at his younger cousin who waved at him, in awe at the bravery of her older cousin. He lifted his chin at her and waved back. He stopped and turned toward her. He put a finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet and then waved her over with them. She quietly ran up the driveway to join them with a big smile and all three headed toward the back of the house.  
  
Lucas had shown Tommy and Missy the bruise on his chest that now clearly read "Mustang."   
  
"Is that where the car was?" Tommy asked his friend. "Yeah," Lucas whispered as they walked up the back steps to look into the back door that opened into the kitchen. He straightened up and quickly looked in the back door to see if anyone was in the kitchen. He didn't see anyone, but decided they should go look through other windows to make sure that no one was there. After all, there was a car there.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
Paul Richards sat in the bedroom, wondering what he should do next. Boscorelli was out on the couch, in and out of consciousness - either from blood loss, shock, or both. He stood up and paced in the room and then went over to the doorway, looking out into the living room.   
  
"I should move him in here. At least if anyone comes around, he won't be right there in the living room," he thought to himself. He walked down the hallway, passing the photos of his wife and daughters, the sadness and anger rising again in him. He walked over to the couch and looked down at the injured, and quite possibly dying, police officer that had ruined his life.  
  
"Boscorelli," he called to him. Nothing. He shoved his shoulder. "Boscorelli," he repeated a little louder this time. Bosco moved slightly and moaned.  
  
"Boscorelli!" Richards said louder this time as he grabbed onto him and began lifting him.  
  
Bosco began to come to and drew in a sharp breath at the pain the movement was causing him. "Aahhh," he faintly said, opening his eyes.  
  
"Shut up," Richards ordered. "Walk this way. I'm gonna put you in the bed."  
  
"I need to go to the hospital," Bosco told him, talking even causing pain. Richards heard, but his mind didn't register the sound of an owl outside the house.  
  
"Well, that ain't gonna happen," Richards answered as he got Bosco into the bedroom and over to the bed. He put him down on the bed and Bosco yelled out again in pain.  
  
"Look, are you gonna tell me before I die why I'm here?" Bosco asked.  
  
"You still don't remember? Even after the pictures?" Richard said with anger.  
  
"No," Bosco said weakly.  
  
"I guess there's no harm in telling you - even though they never got the same courtesy," he said, gesturing toward the pictures on the nightstand. Bosco moved slowly so that he could see the pictures and then turned back to Richards, waiting for an explanation.  
  
Suddenly, Richards heard a noise on the side of the house. He stood up quickly, trying to figure out what side of the house the noise came from. He walked out of the bedroom as Bosco drifted unconscious again.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
"Tommy!" Lucas yelled in a whisper.  
  
"What? I didn't mean it. I slipped," the boy whispered back after regaining his footing. He'd slipped off the bucket they'd turned over to stand on and landed against the house, making a thumping noise. Missy stood there in fearful silence.  
  
Lucas grabbed her hand and the three ran down the driveway and behind the tree, waiting to see if anyone in the house had heard and would come out to investigate.  
  
Out of breath, the three kids looked at each other. "Did you see that?" Lucas said in disbelief to his friend.  
  
"What? What did you see?" Missy asked eagerly.  
  
"Yeah. Looked like that one guy was sick or something," Tommy said.  
  
"I thought you said that no one lived here," Missy said, eyes wide.  
  
"Maybe it's the ghosts. Do you know what happened in that house?" Tommy asked Lucas.  
  
Lucas just shook his head 'no.'  
  
Suddenly, they heard a door open and a man stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind him. The man seemed to look right at them through the trees.  
  
"What're you kids doing over there?" he yelled over.  
  
"Sorry, Mister," Tommy said, stepping out from behind the tree. "I missed the ball and it hit your house. Sorry. Hope we didn't break anything," he lied.  
  
The man just stared for a moment, something in his eyes scaring the kids. "Just be more careful and stay away from here," the man yelled, turning and going back inside.  
  
"Yes, Sir. Sorry again," Tommy said, coming back behind the tree again.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
TBC... 


	21. Chapter 21

Revenge   
  
Chapter 21  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"C'mere," Faith said, pulling up to the curb and calling over one of their informants.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am," replied Bones, as he was affectionately called on the streets due to the fact that he appeared be only skin and bones.  
  
He walked over to the police car and bent down so that he was even with Faith's window.  
  
"You've seen or heard the news?" Faith asked the young man.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am. I hope Officer Boscorelli is okay," Bones answered.  
  
"Uh huh. You haven't heard anything about where he might be, have you, Bones?" she asked him, watching in her mirrors and the group of people that Bones was with. It was a particularly bad part of the precinct and she didn't want anyone sneaking up on her.  
  
"No, Ma'am. I'd surely tell you if I heard anything, Officer Yokas," he answered earnestly.   
  
"Well, I need you to keep your eyes and ears open," Faith said to him, looking him over. "When's the last time you ate anything, Bones? You look terrible."  
  
"I'm okay, Ma'am. You know how it is. The drugs are more important than food," said the young man, ashamed.  
  
"You gonna be here for a little while longer?" she asked him.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am. If you want me to be," he answered.  
  
"Are you holdin' right now, Bones?" she asked him, looking him in the eye when he answered.  
  
"No, Ma'am. I don't have any money for any right now," he told her and then looked at the ground.  
  
"Get in the back of the car, Bones," she told him.  
  
"Aww, Ma'am..." he started, but was interrupted by Faith.  
  
"Get in the back of the car now, Bones," she stated again, firmer this time. Bones opened the door and got into the back of the car. Faith put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb and around the corner. She pulled to the curb outside of the diner and turned off the car. Getting out, she opened the rear door and told Bones to get out and follow her.  
  
Bones followed Faith into the diner and he sat down at the counter as she instructed him. The waitress came over, leery of what was going on.  
  
"Can I help you, Officer?" she asked, taking in the man sitting at the counter.  
  
Faith looked at her name tag. "Paula, this here is Bones. I'm gonna give you this," she said, handing over $20. "I want you to give him anything he wants to eat for that amount. Don't give him any change. If he doesn't use up the $20 then you keep the rest for a tip," Faith told her.  
  
"Okay," said the young woman not sure what she was talking about.  
  
"Bones, you get something to eat. You're not getting any of that money to take out and buy drugs with, you understand? So, you might as well put some food in your stomach. You look like hell. Let me know if you hear anything about Bosco. You know how to reach me right?" she asked him, handing him a menu.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am. I just call the 55th and ask them to tell you to meet me. Thank you, Ma'am," Bones said, his mouth watering at the sight of all the food in the menu.  
  
"Alright," she said, looking up at Paula. "No change to him, you understand?"  
  
"Yes, Officer. I promise," Paula replied. Faith turned and left, leaving Paula to take down Bones' order.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
The three kids were walking back to Lucas' house, still unsure of what they'd seen.  
  
"So, what do you think we should do?" Tommy asked Lucas.  
  
Lucas shrugged. "I don't know. It's probably just some guy taking care of someone else while he's sick."  
  
"I thought you said no one lived there anymore," Missy chimed in. "Maybe they're not supposed to be there. All the curtains are closed and there's no lights on inside and it's getting dark."  
  
"We don't talk about this to anyone, understand?" Lucas said to Tommy and Melissa. "If Mom finds our we were playing around over there, I'll be grounded for months."  
  
"Yeah, me too," Tommy agreed as they reached Lucas' house.  
  
"So, where have you three been?" Lucas' Mom asked as they walked inside and Lucas went to the refrigerator to get a drink for them all.  
  
"All over the place. We were playing adventure," Tommy answered.  
  
"Well, it's just about time for dinner. Missy and Aunt Sarah are leaving and your Dad will be home soon, so don't go anywhere," Lucas' Mom said.  
  
"Okay. Hey, Mom," Lucas said, suddenly getting an idea. "Can Tommy stay for dinner and sleep overnight?"  
  
"Hmmm. Well, there's nothing going on tonight, so as long as it's okay with his Mom and Dad, it's okay with me," she answered.  
  
"Tommy, let's go ask your Mom and get your stuff," Lucas said. The two boys ran outside and to Tommy's house.  
  
"Let's go back over there tonight and check it out. They won't be able to see us in the dark and we can find out what's going on," Lucas told his friend as they got to his house.  
  
"Your cousin won't say anything right?" Tommy asked.  
  
"Nah. She's okay. She won't say anything," Lucas told him.  
  
*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Ahh, you're awake again," Richards said, standing in the doorway with more bandages.  
  
Bosco didn't say anything - just glared at the man. Richards came over to him and lifted his arm so he could get a look at his side. Bosco drew in a breath at the pain the movement caused, a new film of sweat forming on his forehead.  
  
Richards went about the task of changing the dressing - more to keep it off of the bed than to take care of Bosco. Although, he still hadn't decided what to do with him - let him die or keep him alive a little longer.  
  
"So, you never finished your story," Bosco said quietly, the weakness of the blood loss evident.  
  
"My story?" Richards asked.  
  
"Yeah - the story of why exactly I'm here," Bosco reminded him.  
  
"Ah, yes. The reason for your punishment," Richards said, finishing the task of bandaging Bosco's side. He stood up, gathering the bloodied bandages to discard. He walked into the bathroom that connected to the bedroom and got rid of the soiled supplies and came back into the room. He looked out the window to make sure no one was around, noticing the darkness settling throughout the neighborhood. He thought about the kids from earlier, wondering if they'd been too suspicious and then put the thought aside. No one else had come snooping around so it must be okay.  
  
He looked back at Bosco who was hovering between consciousness and unconsciousness. He jumped slightly when Bosco flinched at the pain of some muscle that had spasmed in the area of his wound and watched while his breath came back to the normal labored breathing he'd been seeing.  
  
"So, I'm surprised the little scare to your partner's children didn't jog your memory, Officer," Richards said.  
  
Bosco's eyes opened again, listening to his captor.  
  
"At the park?" he managed to get out.  
  
"Yes, the park. The place where this all began all those years ago. I guess you were a rookie then. You shouldn't have been driving during that chase..." Richards said, trailing off.  
  
Bosco searched his memory, but didn't have to search long. It was never very far away from his present thoughts and he couldn't believe it had taken him this long to think of it - even after the thing at the park with Faith's kids.  
  
"Ah, so I see the light is beginning to come on in that brain of yours," Richards said sarcastically as he saw the recognition come into his weary eyes.  
  
Bosco tried to sit up a little in an effort to become more awake, but the movement only caused him excruciating pain. He could feel himself bleeding inside and cursed when the darkness overtook him again, despite his efforts to fight it.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
TBC... 


	22. Chapter 22

Revenge  
  
Chapter 22  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was dark and Lucas and Tommy waited until everyone seemed to be asleep. True to her word, Missy hadn't said anything to anyone about what they'd seen earlier.   
  
"Tommy," whispered Lucas in the darkness of the room.  
  
"Yeah," Tommy whispered back.  
  
"Whatta you think?"  
  
"You think your Mom and Dad are asleep yet?" Tommy asked looking over at the clock on Lucas' dresser.  
  
"Yeah," Lucas said.  
  
The boys got up as quietly as they could, but Bailey heard them and started to pace, thinking that the boys wanted to play.  
  
"Bailey!" Lucas shouted in a whisper. "Quiet. You got me in enough trouble tonight," he told the dog, who cocked his head and perked his ears up.  
  
Lucas was thinking about when he had to relay to his father about how he'd gotten the bruise on his chest. His father joked that the bruise looked like a tattoo. And then his mother was brushing the dog and found grease in his fur and chips of blue around his collar and tags. Lucas explained that Bailey had gotten under the car in the old garage and he'd had to pull him out. "That's the color of the car in there. I hope he didn't scratch it up too bad," Lucas had explained.  
  
Bailey was getting so excited at their moving around that Lucas decided it would be easier to take Bailey with them. They could tie him to the tree outside the old house rather then leave him here to bark and wake up his parents.  
  
The boys finished gathering everything, making sure they had everything on their checklist; jackets, flashlights, slingshots - they could pick up some rocks on their way over for ammunition. Satisfied that they had everything, they quietly crept up the hallway and out the back door.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Faith was taking her meal break with Sully and Davis. Carlos and Kim had met up with them.  
  
"So, have you had any luck at all yet?" Kim asked in between sips of her soda.  
  
"No. I'm really starting to get frustrated," Faith admitted, pushing her plate of food away.  
  
Sully looked at his friend and saw the tiredness in her eyes. "Have you taken a break at all?"  
  
She just looked at him and changed the subject. "I'm gonna head over to 143rd and Arthur to see if I can talk to Mazie. Maybe she can talk to her pimp and see if he's heard anything."  
  
"Faith," Sully started, intending to bring her back to the question he'd originally asked.  
  
"Sully. I can't. Okay? I just can't. Not until I find him. Who knows, he could be hurt out there, waiting for someone to come after him. He'd never stop looking for me," Faith said, standing up and throwing $10 on the table to cover her meal and portion of the tip. She turned and walked out the door toward her RMP, unaware of the eyes that followed her. Not the eyes of her co-workers, but the eyes of Bosco's captor.  
  
Bosco hadn't awakened in quite some time. He was still alive. His pulse was still strong enough - at least as far as Richards could determine. He'd decided to take advantage of the cover of darkness and get some more supplies. He was running low on food in the house and he wanted to hear what the word was on the missing NYPD police officer. He'd made sure that Boscorelli was secured in case he did awaken, and he placed a gag on his mouth in case he tried to call for help.  
  
Now, he sat at the counter of the diner and watched the television while he was listening to Faith and her co-workers. It seemed like they flashed the picture of Boscorelli and the information every commercial break. He watched as they showed the same make of car that he had stashed in his garage - away from prying eyes.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Lucas and Tommy had crept silently toward the house. There were no lights on in the house and they peeked through the same window. They could see what they thought was a person lying on the bed, but it wasn't moving and they couldn't tell if it was a person or just stuff thrown on the bed.  
  
"I dare you to go inside," Tommy said to his friend.  
  
"What?!" Lucas said, almost too loud.  
  
"I double dare you," Tommy said with a grin.  
  
"No way. What if that guy is in there?" Lucas reasoned.  
  
"There's no one in there. Bailey's been barking for the last ten minutes and no one's moved in there. That old guy sure wouldn't want to put up with a dog barking outside of his house," Tommy explained to him. "But, if you're too scared...," he went on.  
  
"I'm not scared," Lucas said defiantly. "You go in with me," he counter-dared.  
  
"Someone's gotta be the lookout," Tommy explained sensibly.  
  
"Yeah, right. I think you're the one that's chicken. Afraid of an old, haunted house," Lucas teased.  
  
"Okay. We'll go in together," Tommy suddenly answered bravely. The two boys shined their flashlights around the rooms of the house and made a little noise to see if anyone stirred. Satisfied that the house was empty, they jiggled the old, weathered lock on the back door and were surprised when it finally gave and the door was ajar. Despite Bailey's barking, the two boys snuck inside, as quiet as they could be. They quietly walked through the house exploring and were in the doorway to the bedroom when they heard the back door open slowly.  
  
Both boys gasped and looked at each other, fear evident in their eyes. Lucas was the first to move, pushing Tommy into the bedroom ahead of him. "Hide under the bed," he whispered. Both boys crossed the room to the bed and started to get to their knees to crawl under. Both froze in their tracks when they saw the man lying on the bed, tied up with a cloth rag stuck in his mouth and a dark stain that looked like blood on his side.  
  
The sound of bags being set down in the kitchen brought them back to reality and both scurried under the bed as they heard the footsteps coming down the hall. They looked out from under the bed and saw only the work boots of the man in the doorway.  
  
"Awake yet, Officer Boscorelli?" the man called out. Not getting an answer, the man made a disgusted noise and crossed over to the bed. Both boys held their breath and cringed close to each other as the man stopped alongside the bed.  
  
The bed above them shook as the man must have shaken the one on the bed in an attempt to wake him up. "Everything been quiet around here, I assume" the man said, half laughing.   
  
Richards felt for a pulse and was rewarded with one. He watched Bosco's chest rise and fall slowly, satisfied that he was still alive.  
  
"Well, let me tell you. NYPD's finest are leaving no stone unturned in looking for you. Too bad they have no idea where to look," the man chuckled, walking back out and up the hallway toward the kitchen. A few minutes later the boys smelled food cooking on the stove.  
  
"What're we gonna do?" Tommy mouthed to Lucas without sound.  
  
"I don't know," Lucas mouthed back. In the silence that followed, Lucas realized that he didn't hear Bailey barking anymore. He hoped that the man hadn't found him and hurt him. "I don't hear Bailey," Lucas told his friend.  
  
"Maybe he went for help. You know, like Lassie," Tommy told him.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Bailey fell silent when the man walked up the driveway, knowing that his boy was inside the house. He watched as the man walked up the steps and opened the back door, a low growl escaping the dog's throat. He pulled at his leash and it finally broke free. He ran to the house and was unable to find a way in. He ran around the house, whimpering, sensing the danger that the boys were in.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*  
  
Faith pulled into the parking spot outside of the Precinct and waked into the House. She stopped at the desk to see if there'd been any developments. "Thanks, Lieu," she said to the Lieutenant at the desk after he updated her. "I'll be in the office going through more reports," she told him.  
  
"You still think there's something in there," he stated, knowing that it was useless to argue with her about going home to get some rest.  
  
Faith paused for a moment and then said, "Yeah, Lieu. I do. Maybe it's just a gut feeling, but I can't ignore it."  
  
Lieutenant Swersky nodded and watched as Faith walked down the hallway and around the corner.  
  
*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
TBC... 


	23. Chapter 23

Revenge  
  
Chapter 23  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Trisha was sleeping fitfully. She was tossing and turning. Finally she awoke and sat up in the bed, turning on the bedside lamp. She looked around the room - the room that Maurice had grown up in. Rose had insisted that Trisha come and stay with her to wait for news, so they had all made the trip to and from the 55th Precinct each day to await news.   
  
She sat on the edge of the bed, trying to figure out exactly what it was that her mind was trying to tell her during her sleep. There were bits and pieces of pictures that flashed in her dreams, but she was unable to put them together.   
  
Her thoughts wandered back to the last time she had seen him. She had come in the front door of Haggerty's and looked around. She found him at the bar, ordering a beer, his back to her. She thought that odd since he had always managed to situate himself, nonchalantly, so that his back was against the wall and he could watch everything going on. She had asked him about it once and his simple reply with a smile was, "It's a cop thing." She remembered thinking as she approached him now at the bar, with his back to her, that in a cop hangout, not everyone could have their back to the wall or they'd all be lined up around the room and laughed again at the thought. She had watched him while she approached. She always loved watching him - so sure of himself - so confident. And when he held her she always felt safe in his arms. And warm. She remembered lying next to him talking quietly to each other about anything and everything, his arms around her, feeling safe and warm. She'd thought she could stay that way forever. Now as she approached, he acknowledged friends that would walk by, an easy smile coming to his face.  
  
Suddenly, she felt another presence in the room and looked up to see Rose standing in the doorway.  
  
"You couldn't sleep either?" Rose asked her quietly, holding a cup of tea for her.  
  
"On and off. I keep having pieces of a dream. I can't help but think they mean something," Trisha told her, standing up and taking the steaming cup from her.  
  
"You mean like a vision or something?" Rose asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Trisha sat back down again too.  
  
"No. I don't think so. I don't know if it's a dream, or something I remember Maurice telling me about," she tried to explain.  
  
"Well, what do you see in the dream? Maybe we can both work on piecing it together," Rose offered.  
  
Trisha began relaying what she'd been seeing. "Something about kids. Hurt kids. Maurice was upset," she said. "That's all I have," she said in frustration.  
  
"Hmm. Kids and Maurice is upset. Well, Maurice never likes it when kids are hurt or being abused," Rose relayed to her. "I don't know if he ever told you, but he had a pretty hard time when he was growing up. Both he and Mikey did. Their Dad - is a drunk. And, he was a mean drunk. He used to beat me up regularly and Maurice would try to step in and ended up getting beat too," she said with shame.  
  
"I don't know why I didn't leave him. I blame myself for that every day," Rose said sadly.  
  
Trisha put a hand on Rose's arm. "He knows you have regrets. He doesn't blame you as much as you might think, Rose. If anything, I think he still blames himself for not being able to make his father stop."  
  
Rose looked at Trisha. For Maurice to have opened up like this with someone, she must be pretty special. "You're good for him, Trisha. A calming influence in the violent world that he lives in."  
  
"Thanks," she replied. "He's good for me too. I feel... safe with him. You see my childhood was nothing too great either. I was passed around from foster home to foster home."  
  
"I didn't know that," Rose said tenderly. "Well, welcome to our family - such as it is." Rose stood up, took the empty cup from Trisha's hand and said, "You try to get some more sleep. Maurice is going to need us when we get him home."  
  
Trisha watched Rose walk out of the room and smiled to herself. The feeling of finally belonging somewhere was great. She just hoped that she could have Maurice back soon. She turned off the light and went back to bed, hoping for peaceful sleep. But, she started with the same scenes running through her head as soon as she fell asleep and tried to make sense of them.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
The dog wandered up onto the front steps of the house. Unable to awaken anyone inside to be let in, Bailey lay down on the steps in front of the door, facing the house that Lucas and Tommy had entered and not come out of.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
The boys remained under the bed where Bosco lay unconscious, trying to figure out what to do. It was quiet in the house for now and they were considering trying to make their escape.  
  
"Should we go?" mouthed Tommy to Lucas. Lucas shrugged and then tried to creep out to the edge of the bed to see if he could tell if anyone was still awake. As he got to the edge and poked his head out, he was startled as he heard the man above him make noise. He shrunk back out of sight and both boys remained still, listening.  
  
"55-David to Central. We're approaching 103rd and Arthur. Is there any more information on a direction of travel for that hit and run vehicle?" Bosco called out into the darkness.  
  
The boys looked at each other and assumed that the man above them was talking in his sleep. They felt the bed shaking above them, obviously from the man thrashing about.  
  
"10-4. We have the vehicle in sight and are in pursuit south on Arthur. Advise the Sergeant that this vehicle is traveling at a high rate of speed. Request permission to 'pit' this vehicle when able to do so safely," Bosco said, a more tense edge to his voice.  
  
Suddenly, they heard the man above them yell out, "Faith! Hold on!"  
  
"No! Faith, oh my God! Are you alright?!" he yelled with dread in his voice.  
  
"55-David to Central. We need buses forthwith! We've been hit. There are civilian injuries. Repeating, there are civilian injuries. Help me. Faith, help me!" he yelled out.  
  
The boys heard the man from the other room get up and walk down the hallway. They saw a light come on from the hallway and his shadow in the doorway.  
  
"Shut up!" yelled the man as he walked over. "You've caused enough trouble!" he yelled again, shaking Bosco and scaring the boys.  
  
"Ahhhh!" Bosco cried out in pain. "No! You're wrong. It wasn't my fault. I didn't mean it," Bosco told him, trying to make sense through his pain.  
  
"No! You could have stopped. Instead you chased that car and hit another car. You should have stopped!" said the man, tears forming in his eyes.  
  
"Not a day goes by that I don't think of them - the people that I...," he paused, unable to say it.  
  
"KILLED!" the man finished for him. "The people you killed! My wife! My daughters! They were only babies! You KILLED them," he yelled again, the tears and sobs flowing freely now. The man felt the rage coursing through him and looked around the room for something to lash out with.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
TBC... 


	24. Chapter 24

Revenge  
  
Chapter 24  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The boys noticed it was getting light and were relieved to know that soon Lucas' parents would be getting up and notice that they weren't there.  
  
They'd been listening to the man that the older man called Boscorelli on and off all night as he thrashed about and had his nightmares. They didn't know exactly what the dreams were about, but they figured out that he was a policeman and that some person named Faith probably worked with him. Apparently there'd been some kind of accident in which this Officer killed the older man's family. It all sounded pretty innocent to Lucas. I mean, sure the man had lost his family, but the Officer did seem sincere in his sorrow for what had happened.  
  
Lucas felt Tommy poke him in the ribs. They'd been taking turns sleeping when they could with the man above them calling out frequently. Lucas jumped at being poked and looked over at Tommy.  
  
"I have to go to the bathroom," Tommy mouthed to Lucas. Lucas gave him a look as if to say, "What d'you want ME to do about it?"  
  
"I really have to go," Tommy mouthed. Truth be told, Lucas had to go pretty bad too and it didn't help lying on this cold, hard floor all night. Lucas held up a finger signaling Tommy to wait a minute as he moved over to peek out from under the bed. He looked around as much as he could and listened for any sounds in the house. He heard none. Now seemed as good a time as any to try to get out - and Lucas knew that the man above him needed medical help because he'd seen the bloody bandage that the older man had discarded onto the floor when he'd put a new one on him.  
  
"At least one of us should try to get out and go for help," Lucas mouthed to Tommy.  
  
"I know. Which one of us should go?" Tommy mouthed back. Lucas shrugged, neither one wanting to stay behind and neither one wanting to be the one to try and leave. They decided to do "rocks, papers, scissors," and soon it was decided.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
The woman woke up to the sun shining across her room and stretched, looking at the clock. It was only 7:00 a.m. She didn't want to get up, but knew that the boys would be getting up soon because Bailey would wake them up wanting to go out for the morning. She glanced over at her still-sleeping husband. She kissed him, which woke him up and then she threw the covers off.  
  
"Already?" the man moaned.  
  
"Yes, already. The boys will be up soon, raring to go," she answered, standing up as she put her arms through the sleeves of her robe. As she rounded the bed to head out to the kitchen to start the coffee, she noticed her husband roll over, attempting to go back to sleep.  
  
"Oh no you don't, Mister," she said, giving him a playful swat on the backside.  
  
"I know, I know. I'm coming," he answered, a little more awake this time. She looked over her shoulder as she left the room, ensuring that he was indeed getting out of bed. She stopped at the door to Lucas' room and didn't hear any sound. She decided she'd let "sleeping dogs" lie and continued on to the kitchen, certain that the smell of coffee, bacon and eggs cooking would rouse them from their sleep.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Trisha, Rose and Mikey came out to the kitchen at just about the same time. Rose headed straight for the automatic coffee pot that had started brewing the coffee that she'd put in it the night before. It was almost done and Rose couldn't wait to get her hands on some of it.  
  
"G'morning, Mikey. Sleep okay?" she asked as Bosco's younger brother scuffed into the room and sat at the table, waiting for his mother to put down a cup of coffee in front of him.  
  
"Not really. I kept having this dream that two women were up chatting half the night," he said sarcastically.  
  
"Sorry about that," Trisha said. "That was my fault. I couldn't sleep. I kept having these weird dreams."  
  
"Even after we talked?" Rose asked her and she nodded. "The same pictures again?"  
  
"Yeah, a couple of new ones too. Some policewoman, I'm assuming was Faith, was there and they were trying to take care of some injured kids. And then, Bosco and 'Faith' rode into the hospital with them in the ambulances," Trisha relayed, hoping that it made sense to someone.  
  
"Well, let me tell you, Mo's been to the hospital quite a few times during his time as a cop. I keep telling him to keep his head down," Mikey thought back fondly.  
  
"Well, maybe if you think that this is something you're remembering Maurice telling you about, you should talk to Faith. Maybe it'll mean something to her," Rose suggested.  
  
"Yeah. I'll talk to her as soon as we get down to the House," Trisha agreed and they all went to get dressed.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Faith came out of the locker room and Lieutenant Swersky took one look at her and knew she was in no shape to go out on the road today. She looked like she'd been up for five days straight - and she had.  
  
"Yokas," Swersky called to her as she headed down the hall. She turned and looked back at him, hoping he had some news.  
  
"Yeah, Lieu?" she responded hopefully as he caught up with her.  
  
"You're off duty today. Go home and get some rest. That's an order," he told her.  
  
She started to object, but he wouldn't let her get a word out.   
  
"Look. You can't go non-stop like this and be any good to anyone. Go home. Check on your family. Get a shower and some decent food. A couple hours of comfortable sleep and then come back in. I promise if I hear of anything, I'll call you immediately," he told her. She could tell by the look on her face that he wasn't taking no for an answer.  
  
"Alright, Lieu. But I'm only taking a couple of hours," she said.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
Lucas' parents were sitting at the kitchen table. His father was reading the newspaper and his mother was reading the magazine section of the paper. The television was playing in the background and they were only half listening to what the morning anchor was saying.  
  
"I can't believe they're not awake yet," said Lucas' mother as she took another piece of bacon from the plate. "This bacon's getting cold. Maybe I'll go wake them up."  
  
"Just let them sleep. If it was at all like when my friends slept over, they were up talking and goofing around all night. They'll probably sleep until noon and then you can give them brunch," said his father as he turned the page of the newspaper.  
  
"Well, I better at least open the door and see if Bailey wants to go out. I don't want to clean up THAT mess," she said, standing up and walking down the hallway quietly.  
  
Lucas' father remained in the kitchen, reading the paper and listening to the television. Maybe because it was so quiet, his ears picked up the report they were giving out again on the missing police officer. He couldn't say what, but something about the descriptions grabbed his attention at the same time he heard his wife call to him from the hallway.  
  
"Roger! The boys aren't here. Neither is Bailey," she called up to the hall to him.  
  
"What d'you mean they aren't there?" he said, putting down the paper and getting up, the description that was being reported suddenly out of his mind. He walked down the hallway and to the door to see that, indeed, both beds were empty and the dog was nowhere to be found.  
  
"Maybe they got up early and went out to walk Bailey and play," he reasoned.  
  
"No," she said, her mother's instinct kicking in.  
  
"Maybe they went to Tommy's house during the night to sleep," he suggested and his wife went to the phone to call Tommy's house.  
  
As she was dialing the phone, Lucas' mother heard a whimper outside the door. "Roger. I think the dog is at the door," she called to him, the phone to her ear. Roger opened the front door to find a cowering Bailey on the front steps, obviously thinking that he was in trouble for something.  
  
Lucas' father opened the door and let the dog in as he stepped outside to look around. The boys were nowhere in sight and he called out to them.  
  
"Lucas! Tommy! You boys had better get in here and have a darned good explanation of why you were outside at all!" he called out. No response. He came back into the house to see if there'd been any news from Tommy's house.  
  
"Are they there?" he asked his wife, becoming alarmed himself now. She shook her head no and hung up the phone. "Maria and Tom are on their way over now," she said. "We'd better get some clothes on so we can go looking for them," she said as they both headed to the bedroom to dress.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Lucas attempted to make his way from under the bed to the doorway. He would peek around to see if he could see the old man and if he had a shot at getting out of the house. As soon as he'd made it to the doorway, the man on the bed behind him began to make noise again. Tommy shrunk under the bed further as Lucas froze in the doorway. He heard the man in the other room stir and tried to make it back under the bed before he'd reached the room. He'd almost made it when the man came around the corner and saw the bottoms of Lucas' feet going under the bed.  
  
"You there! Get out from there. How long've you been under there," said the man, hitting floor and looking under the bed to see two sets of wide, frightened eyes staring out at him.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	25. Chapter 25

Revenge  
  
Chapter 25  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Trisha, Rose and Mikey walked into the Precinct at about 10:00 am. There seemed to be some excitement about something and they'd hoped it was about finding Bosco.  
  
They approached the Sergeant's desk to see what had developed. "Sergeant Michaels? Is there some news?" Rose asked.  
  
"No, Mrs. Boscorelli. Nothing yet. We just got a call about two kids that are missing. Units are heading over to check it out," the Sergeant explained.  
  
"Oh," she said with some disappointment. "Well, I hope they find the kids okay. Could you let Lieutenant Swersky know that we're here when he gets a chance. I realize he's probably pretty busy right now."  
  
"Sure thing, Ma'am," he replied and turned back to the ringing phone. The three of them went to sit in the office that they'd been granted permission to use.   
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Faith had finished her shower and gotten herself something to eat. She just checked in with Fred and the kids at her in-law's house and everything was fine. Emily and Charlie had wanted to come home and help look for Bosco, but she told them that everyone was already looking and the best thing they could do was to stay safe for now. Satisfied that everything was okay with her family, she went to her room to lie down on the bed. She didn't think that she'd actually fall asleep, so she turned on the small television on the shelf for some background noise as she closed her eyes and tried to relax. She listened as another report went out from the hosts of the weekend edition of the Today Show about the missing New York City Police Officer.   
  
"Where are you, Bosco?" she asked out loud. She listened to the reporter's description and Bosco appeared in her mind as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
The boys were sitting in the corner of the room where Bosco lay on the bed, unconscious. Lucas looked over again to the man on the bed and saw him shivering at the same time that he seemed to be sweating.  
  
"What's wrong with him, Mister?" Lucas asked cautiously.  
  
"That's none of your concern," he answered meanly. "What I want to know is what you're doing here and how you got in?"  
  
"We were just exploring. The story around the neighborhood is that this place is a haunted house. Tommy there dared me to come in and look for ghosts," Lucas answered.  
  
"Tommy, eh?" the man said. "And, what's your name?" he asked Lucas.  
  
"Lucas, Sir," the boy answered.  
  
Suddenly, Lucas felt someone grip his arm tightly. He jumped, but was unable to loosen the grasp. He looked over and saw that the man that had been unconscious was awake and looking at him.  
  
"Hey now, Boscorelli. Leave the boy alone," the man said, walking over to take Bosco's hand from Lucas' wrist. "You've hurt enough families," he said, pulling Bosco's arm off of Lucas' wrist.   
  
Bosco was having trouble speaking. Lucas noticed that he was shaking rather violently and that he was quite pale and sweaty.  
  
"Are you okay, Mister?" Lucas asked while his friend tried to shrink further into the corner away from the whole situation. Tommy was wishing he hadn't dared Lucas to come into this old house after all.  
  
Lucas kept looking at the injured man that had reached out to him. Bosco shook his head no slightly. "Faith," he managed to whisper to the boy.  
  
"Faith?" Lucas asked.  
  
"M-m-my p-partner," he struggled to get out. "P-p-police. N-need Faith," he said, trying to get his meaning to the boy. He was sapped of any strength that his body had gathered while he was unconscious and again lapsed into unconsciousness, relaxing his grip on the boy's wrist although his hand remained on his arm.  
  
Lucas looked at his friend and something began to click in his mind. He could tell that Tommy hadn't put anything together - maybe he couldn't hear what the man had said from where he was hiding in the corner.  
  
The boy turned to the older man who had returned to the doorway of the room and was looking around the house to the windows to see if there was any activity outside.  
  
"That's the policeman they've been looking for, isn't it?" Lucas asked accusingly. The man's head snapped around to look at Lucas.  
  
"You're pretty smart for such a little kid," he said, this time walking toward Lucas. Tommy shrunk away further, fearing what was about to happen to his friend. "Yes. Yes, that's Officer Boscorelli. He's the one that killed my family. Now he has to pay," said Richards as he got closer.  
  
"I was listening - before, when we were under the bed and you were talking to him about it. He said it was all an accident. He said that someone hit them and he couldn't control the car," Lucas said defiantly, trying to hide his fear.  
  
"He could have missed them! He just didn't care!" the man screamed, not wanting to listen. The man suddenly and without warning reached out to strike an unconscious Bosco.  
  
Lucas looked over at Tommy quickly, hoping that Tommy would see that with the man next to the officer, Tommy would easily be able to make a run for the door and get help. But Tommy seemed to be frozen with fear.  
  
Lucas managed to make eye contact with Tommy and somehow communicated to him to move. Tommy looked quickly at the man and then bolted toward the bedroom door to make his escape, looking over his shoulder to see the older man still standing over the injured officer in anger.  
  
The last thing Tommy saw was the man turning to see him making his escape. As the man started toward the door after him, Lucas stuck his foot out and tripped him. Tommy heard the man fall to the floor and turn in anger on Lucas. He wasn't sure if he should stop to help his friend or keep running...  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
TBC... 


	26. Chapter 26

Revenge   
  
Chapter 26  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lieutenant Swersky walked down the hallway toward Rose as she stood in the doorway. She could tell by the look on his face that he didn't even see her standing there. He was lost in thought on something else and would have walked right past her had she not interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Lieutenant?" she said as he walked past her. He was pulled from this thoughts and looked toward the voice.  
  
"Mrs. Boscorelli. I'm sorry. I didn't see you there," he said, stopping.  
  
"Please. It's Rose. Is there any word?" she asked him.  
  
"No, I'm afraid not. We've got the media still putting the information out there and we've got all available personnel out looking and checking out whatever leads are called in," he explained. "I'm sorry, but I have to go take care of something. We've got two kids that have gone missing in our Precinct."  
  
"Yes, the Desk Sergeant told me. You haven't seen Faith Yokas yet today have you?" Rose asked him.  
  
"Actually," he said, glancing at his wristwatch. "She should be back here shortly. I made her go home and try to get some rest and a decent meal. Frankly, I'm surprised that she's been gone this long," he said, suddenly worrying about that too. "Excuse me," he said, heading back toward the desk.  
  
As he reached the desk, the Lieutenant called over to the Sergeant. "Hey, Richie! Send a unit by Yokas' apartment, check to make sure she's alright. I haven't heard from her and I thought she'd be back by now."  
  
"Yes, Sir," said the Sergeant, picking up the phone to call the dispatcher to send a unit over. "I'll let you know as soon as I hear from them."  
  
"Thanks," Swersky said and turned away to walk back to his office.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Faith gradually heard the television playing and sat up with a start when she heard the description of the missing officer and now of some missing children as well. She looked quickly at the clock and jumped up.  
  
"Dammit!" she yelled out to no one. "I can't believe I slept that long. I've gotta get back to the House." She grabbed her clothes and threw them on. As she was walking up the hallway there was a knock on the door. She opened it and saw two uniformed officers from the 55th standing in her doorway.  
  
"Hey, Johnny, Mike," she acknowledged. "What's up? Did they find him? Is he okay?" she asked somewhat anxious.  
  
"Not yet, Faith. Lieu was worried when you didn't come back and sent us over to check on you," answered the older officer.  
  
She left the door open and walked into the living room. "C'mon in. Lieu ordered me home for a while. I can't believe I slept as long as I did. I was just getting ready to come back," she said, grabbing her jacket, gun and purse. She turned to look at the two officers who had followed her in.  
  
"I'm not surprised, Faith. You've been going for, what - three or four days straight at least," continued the officer.  
  
"Yeah, well. That's where I'm supposed to be. My partner's missing," Faith said, feeling guilty that she'd stopped looking for him for so long.  
  
"Well, we'll tell the Lieutenant that you're okay and on your way back in," Johnny said to her as the two officers preceded her to the door. They all stepped into the hallway and Faith pulled the door shut behind her and locked it. "Thanks."  
  
"You want a ride over to the station?" they offered.  
  
"Ah, no. I've got Fred's truck, so I'll take that," she told them.  
  
As they all walked down the stairs, Mike keyed his radio. "Central, this is 55-Edward. Advise the Lieutenant that we checked on that subject. She's fine and is on her way in."  
  
"10-4, Edward. I'll advise," answered the dispatcher.  
  
"Hey, what's with those missing kids? I just heard the tail end of it on the television," Faith asked.  
  
"Oh, we're headed over there now to help search. Two kids disappeared during the night. Parents got up in the morning and the kids and the dog were gone. They found the dog on the front steps, but the kids are still missing," Mike told her.  
  
"Damn. Okay. Well, good luck with that," Faith said as they all walked out onto the sidewalk, past Mrs. Morris from down the hall, who was coming home from her daily church service.  
  
"Everything okay, Faith?" Mrs. Morris asked her, looking at the two officers.  
  
"Absolutely, Maureen," Faith assured her.  
  
"Any luck finding your partner yet? I've been saying a prayer at the church every morning," she told Faith.  
  
"Nothing yet. Thanks for the prayers though. I'm sure they'll work," Faith said. "Well, I gotta get back to it," she said, excusing herself.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
Faith walked into the Precinct and saw the extra personnel scurrying about in the wake of the disappearance of the kids. "Hey, Lieu," she called to him as she saw him walking toward the other end of the hall.  
  
"Yokas. You okay?" he asked her, even though he'd received the message from the dispatcher that she was fine.  
  
"Yeah. I guess I was more wiped out than I thought," she said. "Any news?"  
  
"Nothing yet, but Bosco's mother is looking for you," he said, motioning toward the office they were in.  
  
"Thanks, Lieu. I'll talk to them then I'll hit the street again and start talking to contacts again," she told him.  
  
"Okay. Take a flyer with you about those missing kids. Just in case," he told her.  
  
"Absolutely," she answered and then headed toward the Boscorelli's and Trisha.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
Faith rounded the corner and saw them all sitting down, looking defeated. "Hey! The Lieutenant said you were looking for me. I'm sorry I didn't get back sooner. I was checking on my kids and stuff," she half-lied, still feeling guilty about not being out looking for her best friend and partner. She knew he'd never stop looking. She thought back to when the niece of that doctor from Chicago went missing. The two of them worked non-stop until they'd found her. Bosco almost got written up for beating that psycho neighborhood watch guy that had taken her. She remembered him really being torn up about the little girl missing, drinking antacid right out of the bottle, the circles under his eyes from being exhausted. But they still kept looking.  
  
"Faith?" Rose repeated, snapping Faith out of her memory. "You okay?"  
  
"What? Yeah. Sorry. I was.., just thinking," she told her. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"  
  
"Trisha kept having these 'dreams' last night. We thought that maybe they'd mean something to you," Rose said and Faith looked over at Trisha.  
  
"I know it sounds weird, but, I don't know. The pictures are just too real, you know?" Trisha said.  
  
Faith nodded, "Well, they say our dreams mean something. So, what'd you see?"  
  
Trisha explained to Faith the pictures that had been flashing through her mind as Rose and Mikey listened too. After she'd finished she said, "See? It's weird. It's probably nothing."  
  
"Wait a minute," Mikey said. "Remember back when you two first started working together, Faith? There was that chase - the one where Bosco was driving and you guys got hit by another car. Remember it? Didn't some kids get hurt in that? Maybe he told Trisha that story once and that's what she's remembering. I remember he got drunk every night after that happened for a long time. Remember, Ma?" Rose nodded her head as she remembered how many times Bosco had crashed at her apartment after that day because she wouldn't let him drive home. She'd never gotten the full story out of him then - just bits and pieces as he had nightmares about it - and then it just seemed to go away.  
  
Faith thought back for a moment and then thought of the things that Trisha had described. A lot of what she'd told her seemed to be from that incident.  
  
"Yeah, I remember that. What a mess. We were chasing this guy - I don't even remember what it was for exactly. Anyways, we told dispatch that we were traveling at a high rate of speed and we were asking the supervisor if we should continue or try to 'pit' the guy in a safe area," she said, looking at the three of them.  
  
"Pitting someone means making tapping their car in the rear quarter panel to try to get them spin out so you can get them stopped," she explained and they nodded their understanding.  
  
"Anyway, before we could get an answer some other car came out of nowhere and hit us in the back passenger side. Bosco tried to control the car, but there was a big puddle there for some reason - we aren't sure why because it hadn't been raining or anything - must've just been a freak thing. We just went out of control and ended up on this playground. I remember it like it was in slow motion. Bosco was fighting to regain control and I was bracing for the impact and we could see the playground coming closer and closer," she said, the terror of that day very real again as she remembered the whole thing.  
  
"Faith?" Rose asked as Faith had stopped talking.  
  
"Sorry. I remember Bosco saying something like 'Oh my God. No,' just before we hit. Kids had scattered everywhere, parents grabbing their kids and pulling them out of the way. There was a bunch of them with minor injuries, but three people died that day. There was a mother and her two girls. The Mom put herself between the car and kids as she tried to get them out of the way, so she took most of the impact. We jumped out of the car and I started to help the Mom, but she was already gone. Then I heard Bosco yelling to me," Faith explained and looked at Trisha.  
  
"He said, 'Faith help me'. I rushed over and he had two little girls that were on top of each other. They'd been thrown into the playground equipment and they were hurt really bad. They were bleeding. Bosco was trying to help them. We didn't find out til we got to the hospital to get checked out ourselves that they were probably gone right away - just like their mother," Faith trailed off.  
  
"Oh, God," Rose whispered. "How awful for you both - for that family. What about the driver of that other car?"  
  
"The one we were chasing got away - we never did find him again," Faith answered.  
  
"No, the one that hit you guys. What happened to the driver?" Rose clarified her question.  
  
Faith thought for a moment and then a look of realization came over her face. "Oh my God! I can't believe this. Why didn't I see this earlier?"  
  
"What? What, Faith?" all three of them said to her and followed her as she bolted out into the hallway in search of Lieutenant Swersky.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	27. Chapter 27

Revenge  
  
Chapter 27  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lucas' and Tommy's parents were talking to the policemen that had responded to their call for help.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am. And how long do you think they've been gone?" asked one of the officers. They were in the living room as officers outside were teamed up to commence searches. Each team was to search their assigned grid and report back to the command post that had been set up in the driveway.  
  
"I don't know. They left while we were sleeping. Tommy was staying overnight and they were there at 11:30 when I checked no them before Roger and I went to sleep," she explained.  
  
"Okay. Do you have a list of their friends - somewhere they liked to hang out..?" the officer asked.  
  
Lucas' father was listening to the questions and trying to think of places where the boys liked to hang out. "They're boys," he thought to himself. "They go everywhere." He glanced at the television screen and again saw the picture of the missing police officer and the car that he may have been driving.  
  
"Wait a minute," Roger said suddenly and all eyes were on him. He pointed toward the television. "That officer that's missing - that Officer Boscorelli," he said, looking back at the officers.  
  
"Yes, Sir?" the senior officer replied.  
  
"He drives a blue mustang, right?" Roger said, getting a confirmation.  
  
"Yes, Sir. Do you know something about that?" asked the officer.  
  
Roger looked at his wife. "That bruise. Remember the bruise that Lucas has on his chest? He said he got it when he was trying to get Bailey out of that old garage. And those blue chips of paint that you got out of Bailey's fur when you were brushing him!" he said, getting excited.  
  
"Sir?" the police officer said, confused. "Williams, better get someone from the command post in here." Officer Williams went outside to get the Officer in Charge.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Faith had just finished relaying the information that they'd come up with to Lieutenant Swersky. She was now feverishly looking through the stacks of paperwork she had pulled a few days ago.  
  
"Wait! His name wasn't Richard," she said, finding the file. "His name's Paul Richard Peterson. Here's his address," she said, showing the Lieutenant. "That's if he still lives there," she added as she went over to talk to Rose, Mikey and Trisha.  
  
"I think we're on to something," she said brightly. "We've got an old address on this guy and we're going to start there."  
  
"But Faith. You didn't answer me. What happened to the car that ran into you that day?" Rose repeated her question.  
  
"I know," Trisha said solemnly. "The driver of that car was the husband and father of the three that were killed. Maurice told me. The guy never got over it. Constantly blamed Maurice because he was driving the police car. He tried a bunch of times to sue the department, Maurice and Faith. He lost every time. He was coming to pick them up at the park, but he'd stopped after work for a few drinks. He was drunk. He didn't even know he'd killed them until he woke up at the hospital two days later," Trisha said, looking over at Faith for confirmation.  
  
"That's right," she said, thinking about how close she had come to losing her children in the park earlier that week.  
  
"Faith!" Lieutenant Swersky called to her from the doorway. "I just checked that address. That's the same street where those two kids went missing from," he said and Faith followed him. She turned back to the three of them.   
  
"I'll call you as soon as we find him. I promise we'll find him," she called to them.  
  
She and the Lieutenant hurried to the door as Sully and Davis were coming into the building. "Faith? What's up?" Davis asked her.  
  
"We may have found him. C'mon," she said and they turned to follow her as she gave them the address.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Please tell this officer what you just told me, Sir," the Captain asked Lucas' father.  
  
"There's an old abandoned house across the street. It's been vacant for years - before we moved in. Anyway, the story around the neighborhood is that it's haunted. Anyway, yesterday Lucas said that Bailey, our dog, had gotten lose and he chased him over to that old place. Bailey got into the garage and somehow Lucas squeezed in through a crack in the building to get him out. He fell while he was in there and hit his chest on what he thought was an old car. He had a bruise and eventually, as the bruise developed, we could make out a word in the bruise. It read Mustang," he said, causing Faith's hopes to rise.  
  
"Did we check out this place?" Faith asked, turning to the Captain. He put up a hand to tell her to let the man finish.  
  
"Sorry. You were saying, Sir?" Faith said, turning back to the worried father.  
  
"Well, a little later, my wife was brushing the dog and found some blue paint chips near the metal tags of his collar. Lucas told her that the dog had gotten under the car and that he thought the dog may have scratched the car with his dog tags as he pulled away. It looked like the same color paint that the officer's car is," he finished.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
As Tommy reached the back door of the house to make his escape and go for help, he heard a yell and a crash. He hesitated, wondering if he should turn back. As if sensing his hesitation, he heard his friend yell to him.  
  
"Go, Tommy! Go get help! Hurry!" Lucas yelled as the man came for him, all that much angrier that Lucas had tripped him and caused him to lose his grip on Tommy.  
  
"Shut up, you little brat!" yelled the man as he reached for Lucas. He had him by the scruff of the neck and was ready to strike him when he heard a yell and was suddenly attacked from the side.  
  
Bosco had regained consciousness and saw that the man was about to strike the boy. He managed to get up enough energy to throw himself toward the man and knock him off his feet. He was hoping that the boy would be able to escape and go for help. Bosco didn't know that the boy's friend was there and had gone for help already. The three of them fell to the floor and, unfortunately, Lucas landed underneath both of them. Lucas cried out in pain as he felt and heard the crack of his leg beneath him.  
  
"Ahhh!" he yelled out in pain. Bosco was able to remain conscious somehow. He knew that he had someone there that needed his protection. The man rolled out from under Bosco, causing more pain to Lucas in the process.  
  
"Ssshhh," Bosco said, trying to calm the boy. "Just hold still. It'll be okay," he said, trying to reassure him. Suddenly, he felt the pain in his side as the man kicked him in the side opposite his bullet wound with his work boot.  
  
He closed his eyes and tried to draw in a breath, fighting to stay conscious, not wanting the boy to be further frightened. He gasped a few times as he fought to control the pain. The man ran out into the hallway to try to get to the other boy. Bosco rolled off of the boy and saw that his lower leg bone was sticking out of the skin and he was bleeding.  
  
The boy hadn't started crying yet due to the shock of what had just happened. As soon as Lucas looked at his leg and saw the damage, the fear and pain kicked in and he started to cry.  
  
Paul Richard Peterson looked out the window and saw the many police cars and news crews across the street. He ran back into the bedroom and took out his gun. "Shut that kid up!" he said through clenched teeth.  
  
Lucas tried to stifle his cries and was somewhat successful. Bosco managed to get up to a sitting position, leaning against the wall, and drew the boy closer to him to comfort him.  
  
The man raised the gun....  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	28. Chapter 28

Revenge  
  
Chapter 28  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You don't want to do that," Bosco said calmly as he pushed Lucas back behind him. The man hesitated and locked eyes with Bosco. Lucas whimpered, trying to stop himself from agitating the man any further. He knew the police officer had saved his life, at least for a moment, but he knew the man was injured badly and that he wouldn't be able to walk them out of there.  
  
"Oh, but I do," he said, raising the gun again.  
  
"No, you don't. Because if you kill this boy you'll be no better than all those years ago," Bosco retorted. The man stopped, the anger smoldering in his eyes.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked the man meanly.  
  
"It means that you'll be responsible for yet another child's death," Bosco said, getting out of breath. He could feel himself getting weaker, the strain of trying to protect Lucas taking its toll when combined with his injuries. He could feel the boy tremble alongside him and he tightened his grasp on the boy to reassure him that he would let no harm come to him.  
  
"I'll be responsible? I'll be responsible?!" Peterson exclaimed. "You're the one that ran down my family. You're the one that was driving too fast and skidded out of control," he reminded Bosco.  
  
"You're the one that was driving drunk and ran into ME," Bosco replied, anger rising in him. "You're the one that made me hit those kids and that woman - your kids and wife."  
  
"No! You did it! I didn't know you were there!" said Peterson becoming more enraged. He leveled the gun at Bosco, his hands shaking as he fought to control his anger.  
  
Bosco felt the darkness returning and he fought to stay conscious.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
"Captain!" came an urgent voice from outside the house. The Captain stepped to the doorway and saw one of the officers walking a boy toward the house.  
  
"Tommy!" cried his mother as she saw him through the window. "Thank God!" she said as everyone ran outside to greet them. As the worried parents poured out onto the front lawn, Lucas' parents looked for him in vain.  
  
"Where's Lucas, Tommy?" Roger asked the boy. "Tommy! Where's Lucas?"  
  
Tommy was still crying and trying to control himself enough to relay the information to the police officers.  
  
"He's, he's in that house," Tommy finally got out, pointing toward the dilapidated house. "There's two men in that house. One of them is sick - really sick. The older man has a gun. Lucas tripped the man so that I could get out and come get help," Tommy said, finally succumbing to tears from his fear.  
  
"It's okay, Tommy," said his mother. "The policemen will get Lucas out. Is Lucas hurt?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe. I heard him yell as I was running from the house. The one that's sick, I think maybe he's the policeman they've been looking for. He's pretty sick, I think," Tommy added as Faith, Sully, Ty and Lieutenant Swersky listened.  
  
Suddenly, the afternoon was shattered by the sound of a gun being discharged, followed by the sound of falling glass. Everyone ducked and looked in the direction of the shot. They could see the broken window, but heard no noise.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^  
  
Rose, Trisha and Mikey were at the police station, listening to the news reports when they too heard the shot fired through the microphone from the reporter on the scene.  
  
"Oh my God," Rose said, standing suddenly and gasping. "Oh my God."  
  
Mikey and Trisha stood and without saying anything, the three of them instinctively moved in the direction of the door in order to get themselves over to the scene.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
"Lieu, I've gotta get over there," Faith said, starting to stand up. The Lieutenant grabbed her arm.  
  
"No. Not until we know what's going on," he told her.  
  
"We know what's going on. He's gonna kill Bosco and that kid," she said angrily.  
  
"Faith," Sully interrupted. "We need to find out what kind of weapons the guy has, where they are in the house before we do anything. If we just go barging in there, Bosco and that kid are as good as dead if we can't get to them right away."  
  
"I know," Faith said in disgust. "I just can't sit here and wait. I have to do something."  
  
"I know. We will. Let's get some more information from that kid," Swersky added as they watched ESU set up around the house, preparing to take action if necessary.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
TBC... 


	29. Chapter 29

Revenge  
  
Chapter 29  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bosco continued to huddle over the boy that had somehow become his charge. He still didn't know exactly why the boy was there or what had happened during the times that he was unconscious. The sound of the gun discharging reverberated around the room. Bosco stayed still, taking stock of whether he was hit again. He didn't feel any 'new' pain anywhere. He picked up his head and looked around the room to see the broken window above him, particles of glass covering his arm where it rested over Lucas' head, a well as Lucas' hair.  
  
He looked down at the boy and saw that he was still cowering with some kind of a silent cry going on.   
  
"It's okay," he whispered. "We're okay. I'm gonna get you out of here."  
  
Suddenly, their attention was grabbed by the voice coming through the bullhorn outside of the house. The boy's friend had obviously gotten away and summoned help, but it seemed awfully quick for help to have arrived so soon.  
  
"The police are here. They know we're here," he said trying to comfort the boy.  
  
Bosco looked around the room to find out where Peterson might be and didn't see him. Peterson must have heard the bullhorn because he was making his way quickly back to Bosco and the boy.  
  
"What's your name?" whispered Bosco to the boy.  
  
"Lucas," he managed to answer. "I don't feel so good," he added. Bosco looked down at the boy and saw that he was getting pale - probably going into shock. He hadn't lost a lot of blood, but he'd lost enough.  
  
"I know. Lucas, you need to stay as quiet as possible. We need to make this guy forget that you're even here, okay?" Bosco told the boy as Peterson entered the room. Lucas was about to answer, but closed his mouth as soon as the man entered the room.  
  
Again the voice came over the bullhorn. "Paul Peterson, this is the Police. We'd like to come in and talk to you please," said the negotiator over the bullhorn.  
  
Peterson came back into the room, an excited look on his face. "So, you're fellow officers came after you. I wonder if you'll live long enough to be rescued?"  
  
"You better give up, Peterson. You've gotta know that you're not gonna get away with this. Especially with the boy," Bosco threatened.  
  
As Peterson walked toward the window to check on the activity, he glanced down at Bosco. "You're hardly in any position to tell me what to do," he said, kicking Bosco in the side and grabbing him by the hair, pulling his head back.  
  
"Ahhh," Bosco fought to get a breath while trying to push Lucas further behind him. The boy was frightened and tried not to make a sound.  
  
"Let me see him," Peterson said, releasing Bosco's hair. Bosco began to cough while struggling to catch a breath, blood coming to the corners of his mouth. Peterson pulled the boy out from behind Bosco a little to look at his injury.  
  
"Look, let the medics come get the boy. He didn't do anything to you. Let the boy go," Bosco urged the man, coughing some more.  
  
"We'll see what stunts your police friends try and then maybe I'll think about it," Peterson sneered.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Kim and Carlos were situated down the street from the house, with the crew from the fire department standing by as well. If there was a chance that tear gas or concussion grenades needed to be used by ESU, the fire department was called to stand by in the event of something catching fire from the explosions.  
  
Carlos had finished getting the stretcher out of the ambulance and putting the backboard and medical bags on top of it to be ready to move when and if needed.  
  
"Anything yet?" Carlos asked, coming up to Kim and the group of firefighters.  
  
Kim shook her head no. "We're just waiting," she said absently, looking toward the house, worried about Bosco. "I talked to the cops and the kid that was in there. It sounds like Bosco's in a bad way. The kid said there seemed to be a lot of blood and that he was in and out of consciousness. He said the guy kept knocking Bosco around too," she added.  
  
"Who IS this psycho?" Jimmy chimed in.  
  
"Some guy from a long time ago. Apparently, the guy blames Bosco and Faith for killing his family during some car chase where they crashed the police car," Billy Walsh offered.  
  
"Yeah, I remember that. Nasty accident. Bosco was torn up about it for a long time. A mother and her two girls were killed when they got hit by the police car and thrown into the playground equipment," D.K. said.  
  
"Man," Carlos commented.  
  
"There was a lot of uproar at the time. You know, the usual - the police shouldn't be driving that fast, they should have more training, yadda, yadda, yadda. Things quieted right down the next day when it came out that the guy driving the car that was involved in the crash was the father and husband of the three that were killed," D.K. provided.  
  
"It died down? Why?" Kim asked, thinking that it would just make it worse.  
  
"Because the guy was on his way to pick up his family from that park, only he stopped at a bar after work first and was trashed. He killed his own family," D.K. said in disgust.  
  
"So, why does he blame Bosco?" Jimmy asked.  
  
"Because he's sick in the head from it. He's blaming everyone but himself," Walsh surmised.  
  
"Exactly," D.K. agreed.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
"Hey! I want to talk to Officer Yokas! Is she out there?" Peterson yelled through the broken window.  
  
"No!" Bosco managed. "Leave her out of this. I was driving. Not Faith," Bosco said, almost in a whisper. He was fading and he didn't know how much time he had left. He felt terrible, couldn't stop shaking, couldn't get warm. It was a constant fight to stay awake, but he didn't want anything to happen to the boy next to him.  
  
"Shut up," Peterson yelled over his shoulder at Bosco, pointing the gun at him momentarily.  
  
"Mr. Peterson. I'd like to talk to you, if you'll let me. I'm sure we can settle this without anyone else getting hurt. That's all we want," called the negotiator.  
  
"NO! I want Officer Yokas!" Peterson insisted. "I'll only talk to her!"  
  
The negotiator looked around at his superiors, but before they could make a decision, Faith stepped forward and said, "I'm here, Peterson. So talk. How's the boy and Officer Boscorelli?"  
  
Bosco heard his partner's voice. "Is that your partner? The one you wanted me to call for you?" Lucas asked quietly. Bosco nodded his head. "Boy, she sounds pissed," Bosco thought to himself with a smile.  
  
"Why don't you come in and find out. I'd like to have some time to talk with you, Officer," Peterson called back to her.  
  
"Yokas!" Swersky yelled to her. "Get back here."  
  
Faith just looked back and shook her head. She walked to, and stood in, the middle of the street. "That's not gonna happen unless you at least let the boy go. He's not involved with this. This is between you, me and Officer Boscorelli. Now, let the medics come and get the boy. Then I'll come in," Faith told him, walking closer to the driveway of the house.  
  
Peterson thought for a moment, not sure of what to do.   
  
"Let him go," Bosco said weakly. "She won't try anything."  
  
"Shut up!" he yelled, turning the gun on Bosco and the boy again. Bosco moved himself as best he could to shield the boy.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Rose, Mikey and Trisha arrived on the scene and came up behind the fire department group because that's as far as they could get. They listened as Faith addressed the man inside the house.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
TBC... 


	30. Chapter 30

Revenge  
  
Chapter 30  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Shots rang out and Faith bent down trying to make herself a smaller target in case Peterson was shooting at her. Terror went through her as she realized the shots did not exit the house, but were fired at something - or someone - inside.  
  
"Peterson!" she shouted, trying to get his attention back on her and away from Bosco and the boy inside. "Let the medics come and get the boy and I'll come in there with you," she urged again.  
  
"Yokas! Get back here," Swersky shouted. Faith made no move to return to cover. Her partner was in there - in trouble - and she wasn't about to let him stay in there. "That's an order, Yokas!" Swersky called to her.  
  
Faith turned to look over her shoulder and said, "Lieu. I can't leave him in there." With that, she walked toward the house. She removed her gun belt and placed it in the middle of the driveway so that Peterson could see she was now unarmed. "Peterson. I'm coming in. I'm gonna tell the medics to come and get the boy. Okay?"  
  
She was even with the window of the room where Bosco and Lucas were being held when she heard Peterson quietly say. "Tell them to come get the boy, but not until you get in here."  
  
"I will. I promise," Faith said. She turned toward the police behind her and called, "Send the medics for the boy. Only the medics." She made eye contact with Ty, Sully and the Lieutenant before turning and entering the house. The door remained open while Peterson awaited the arrival of the medics from down the street, his gun trained on Faith the entire time because he knew that Bosco and the boy weren't going anywhere.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
The fire and EMS crews stood quietly as they watched Faith slowly make her way closer to the house. Rose, Trisha and Bosco's brother looked on as well.  
  
Everyone froze and you could almost here the audible intake of breath as the shots rang out.  
  
"No," Rose said quietly as a tear ran down her cheek. She was sure that her son had been killed in the recent gunfire. Michael Boscorelli gently put an arm around his mother and Trisha and saw the look of fear and anger in their eyes.  
  
They watched as Faith rose from her crouched position and shouted into the house again. They were far enough away that they couldn't hear what was being said, but watched as Faith walked toward the house, removed her gun and entered the building after calling back to the officers.  
  
Suddenly an officer ran toward the barricade that they were stationed behind. "He said the medics could some and get the boy," the officer said and Kim and Carlos immediately sprang to action.   
  
As they guided their stretcher toward the house, they were provided with bulletproof vests and instructed to make no sudden movements. They were to get the boy and get out. They arrived in the driveway of the old house, waiting to be told to go in. The man must have been waiting for the police officers to get back across the street.  
  
Suddenly, Faith appeared in the doorway and Kim and Carlos could see the gun that was pointed at her back. "C'mon, Kim. It's okay. You just need to get the boy and get back out. You'll have to treat him once you get him out," Faith told them as they entered the house, carrying the backboard and medical bag in and leaving the stretcher outside the door.  
  
"What about Bosco?" Kim asked quietly.  
  
"I don't know. I haven't seen him yet," Faith said, trying to hide her fear for his condition.  
  
"Shut up! No talking. Just get the kid and get out. And don't try anything stupid," Peterson said, motioning them down the hallway. As they got closer to the room they could hear the boy crying.   
  
They entered the room and didn't see the boy right away. It took a moment to adjust to the darkness of the room and then they made out the form of Bosco across the boy, apparently unconscious.  
  
"Damn," Carlos said as he and Kim gently moved Bosco aside and lay him on the floor. Kim found a pulse on Bosco. It was an erratic pulse, but he was still alive. She looked up at Faith and nodded her head to let her know that he was alive.  
  
"Just the boy!" Peterson yelled, when he saw Kim checking on Bosco as Carlos tended to the boy.  
  
"He really needs to get to the hospital," Kim said as she continued to check his wounds. He had multiple bruises and abrasions and there was a gunshot wound to the left side, which appeared to be at least a couple days old with infection. When they had entered the room, she noticed before they moved him that there was a fresh wound to his right shoulder that appeared to enter from the back, as if he threw himself in front of the boy to prevent him from getting hit by any bullets.  
  
"Kim," Carlos said to her urgently. "Broken leg and gunshot wound to the arm. We need to get him out of here," he said trying to get her out before Peterson turned on them also.  
  
"But," she said, not wanting to leave Bosco behind. She was interrupted by Peterson who angrily pushed Faith into the room. "That's it! Out! Now!" he yelled, making Kim jump. He was standing in the doorway of the bedroom, watching the entrances of the house at the same time.  
  
Before standing up, Kim pretended to be getting something out of her medical bag and whispered to Bosco. "Faith's here with you. Hold on, Bosco."  
  
Kim turned to help Carlos lift the boy, who cried out in pain from the movement of his broken bones. The boy looked over at his protector as they picked him up. "What about him?" he asked Kim and Carlos. "He saved my life."  
  
"I know. It'll be okay. He's strong. He'll be okay," Kim told the boy calmly, trying to convince herself. She looked up at Carlos and the look in her eyes told Carlos that she was lying. Carlos looked at Bosco. They'd never exactly gotten along, but he didn't want to leave him behind.  
  
Carlos put a hand on Bosco's shoulder and said, "Hang in there, Bos."  
  
Kim reached into the bag again and as they were carrying Lucas out of the bedroom, she pretended to stumble and fall into Faith. Faith felt something being pushed into her hand and without looking at it, she hid it in her pocket.  
  
"Be careful. We'll see you soon," Kim said to Faith as she "regained" her balance and continued out the door.  
  
Peterson grabbed onto Faith and pulled her out of the room to follow the medics as they left house. When he was sure that they were away and that no one was planning any assaults on the house, he shut the door and pulled Faith back into the room.  
  
He pushed her into the room where she fell to the floor next to a still unconscious Bosco. She reached down and felt for a pulse, relieved to still find one. He looked awful. "He doesn't have much longer, that's for sure," she though to herself.  
  
"So, you wanted to 'talk' to me. I'm waiting," Peterson said angrily, not even giving a second glance at Bosco.  
  
"What's it gonna take for you to let me get him out of here. You don't want the murder of a police officer to add to the rest of the charges," Faith said to him.  
  
She felt Bosco move at the sound of her voice. He made a sound, but she couldn't tell what he was trying to say. She put a hand on him to let him know she was there and could feel the heat from his fever through his sweat-soaked clothing. "Hold on, Bos. Just hold on," she urged him.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
TBC... 


	31. Chapter 31

Revenge   
  
Chapter 31  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kim and Carlos made their way across the street with Lucas, who was crying from the pain and fear that he was feeling.  
  
Lucas' parents raced to his side and the medics let them see for themselves that their boy was alive before gently pushing them aside and tending to his wounds. They took advantage of the time the parents were seeing Lucas to gather themselves together. Kim was shaking and it took a moment to get her emotions under control again.  
  
"Lucas, you're okay now. I promise, you're safe. Just try to relax. We're gonna get you fixed up and get you something for the pain," Carlos told the boy as they gathered vital signs and began treating him. It appeared that he had a through-and-through gunshot wound to his arm. There wasn't profuse bleeding, so it must have avoided any arteries, but they dressed and immobilized it in case there were any breaks in the arm from the bullet striking it on the way through. They put his leg in a traction splint and started IVs and administered oxygen. After stabilizing the boy, they turned him over to another unit that was standing by, deciding that they would stay and take care of Bosco when he was released.   
  
After handing the boy's care off to the other medic team, Kim and Carlos were surrounded by the crew from the firehouse and some of the police officers. She leaned against their ambulance and looked past the officers and firefighters. She locked eyes with Rose Boscorelli and stood up. Walking through the crowd, leaving Carlos behind to tell them what it was like in there, she walked over to where the three were standing. Lieutenant Swerky, Ty and Sully followed her over to them.  
  
"He's alive," she said first to the three of them. Rose began to cry with relief, leaning against Mikey. Trisha took a deep breath and smiled. "I knew it," she said. "I felt him still here," she added, touching her chest to indicate her heart.  
  
"How bad is he?" Trisha asked then.  
  
"It's bad. I won't lie. The guy wouldn't let me help him and he got real mad when I was checking him, so I had to stop. He's got at least two gunshot wounds and one of them looks a couple of days old. He's got bruises and abrasions and I'm pretty sure he's got an infection - probably from the old wound. He's not conscious," she said, not wanting to worry them more, but not wanting to let them think everything was fine when it wasn't.  
  
"Thank you," Rose told Kim.  
  
"Kim, what's it like in there?" Ty asked her as Sully and Swersky listened.  
  
"It's a house. They're in the bedroom where the window's broken. I don't know how much longer he's gonna last. He's lost a lot of blood and he's in shock. I don't even know if he knew we were there. It looks like he threw himself over the kid when the guy started shooting again and got hit the second time. The guy must've beat the crap out of him," she said.  
  
"Where is he? On a chair, bed, on the floor?" Swersky asked as the ESU Commander came over.  
  
"He's on the floor. Faith was in the room with him, but I don't know if he split them up or not. I gave Faith something," Kim said, looking up at the officers.  
  
"What? What d'you mean?" Sully asked.  
  
"I gave her the biggest IV needle I could. If she can stab him with it and catch him off guard, maybe she can get the gun away. I couldn't think of anything else. I though about the morphine we carry, but that has to go into a vein to get enough of it into him to knock him out," Kim told them.  
  
Ty and Sully looked at Kim and smiled. "Well, it might work," Sully said.  
  
"Yeah, that's IF she can get it into him without getting shot herself," Kim reminded them.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
"You have to know that this is wrong, Paul," Faith said, trying to use a casual tone. "But it's not too late. You can end this now without anyone else getting hurt. No one else needs to get hurt," she said, not looking away from him.  
  
"It is too late. It was too late all those years ago. When you and your partner," he said with a sneer, looking at Bosco, "ran down my family. All I had in the world."  
  
"No. You know as well as I do that it was NOT Bosco's fault. I know you didn't mean for that to happen. People make mistakes. Unfortunately, they're mistakes that can't be fixed," Faith told him. "Don't make another mistake. Don't make another family go through what you had to go through," she said, hoping to play on the feelings of loss he'd been feeling for all these years.  
  
"I never meant for it to happen," he said, tears filling his eyes. "I was late so I was rushing. I didn't hear the sirens."  
  
"Of course you never meant for it to happen. Bosco and I have had to live with the what-ifs all these years too. What if that guy we were chasing never ran, or waited a few more minutes to run. We would have missed each other completely. I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry that you lost your family. I can only imagine what you're going through. But this isn't right. You know that as well as I do," she said, thinking that maybe she was making some progress.  
  
Bosco moaned and opened his eyes for a moment. "Faith?" he whispered. Faith tightened her grip on his arm.  
  
"It's okay, Bos. Just hold on," she said, looking down at him.  
  
"I knew you'd come. Tell Trish..," he said, before fading again.  
  
"You can tell her yourself, Partner," she said, looking back at Peterson.   
  
She thought she was making progress with him, but she could actually see the hardness come back into his eyes and she knew that she was losing him again. He was going back into his own world. The world where he did nothing wrong and Bosco and Faith killed his family. "I've gotta get him back into reality again," she told herself, trying to figure out how to do just that.  
  
She stood up slowly, so as not to cause him to think she was going to attack him. "Paul. Please. Let me get him some help. Then we'll figure out a way to get you out of this. I promise. I'll stay here and help you get out of this. We'll figure it out together," she offered, holding a hand out to him.  
  
He looked at her hand and saw the blood of her partner on it. He knew there was no way he was going to get out of it. "No. It's too late," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a lighter. "Smoke doesn't hurt. You'll just go to sleep," he said, lighting it.  
  
*^*^*^*^**^*^**^*  
  
TBC... 


	32. Chapter 32

Revenge  
  
Chapter 32  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"NO!" Faith yelled as she tried to get up to prevent Peterson from lighting the stack of papers on the bookshelf in the corner of the room.  
  
Peterson dropped the lighter onto the stack of papers just as Faith reached him. She grabbed for his arm, but he was ready for her and spun around and hit her in the head with the gun.  
  
She fell to the ground stunned and he was again pointing the gun at her. A film of smoke began to fill the room as the old, dried out papers burned quickly. The flames began licking at the rest of the books on the shelf and in an instant the remainder of the contents and the wood from the shelf began to ignite.   
  
"Look, you don't have to do this. We can get you the help you need. Please," she begged as he sat down in a chair, the gun aimed at her.  
  
"Just lie down and close your eyes, Officer Yokas. Soon, we'll all be out of our misery," he said, a glazed look in his eyes.  
  
Faith looked over at Bosco. He was still unconscious on the floor. She knew he was in very bad shape and knew that he wouldn't be able to stand this smoke for much longer. She felt the syringe in her pocket that Kim had pushed into her hand on the way out and began to try to think of a way to be able to use it.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Is that smoke?" Sully asked as he saw a haze forming around the house.  
  
"Yeah, that's smoke," Ty said, agreeing with him, and standing up.   
  
"He must've lit the place on fire," Swersky surmised, turning to go notify the Captain and Chief Hancock who had arrived on the scene a few moments ago.  
  
"Oh man. We've gotta figure a way to get in there," Ty said, taking some steps toward the house.  
  
"Wait," Sully said, grabbing onto his arm. "ESU is here. They'll figure out a way to get in and get Faith and Bosco out of there. They've got the equipment to do it," Sully told him.  
  
"But, they're not doing anything," Ty said, getting aggravated.  
  
"It may not look like it, but they have people all around that house. If someone can get a shot off at the guy they will. And then FD can get in and get the fire out and bring Faith and Bosco out. If you go in there, you'll just get in the way, or worse, get hurt yourself," Sully told him.  
  
Ty took another step and Sully tightened the grip on his arm. "Let ESU handle it, Ty."  
  
"He's right," Chief Hancock said from behind him. "That's an order, Officer." Ty turned around to look at his superior as Lieutenant Swersky came up behind him. "ESU is prepared to enter the house right now if they can't get a shot off," Hancock added.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
"Oh God," Jimmy said, looking at the haze of smoke beginning to surround the house in the distance. All eyes that had looked at Jimmy followed his gaze up the street and took in the sight before them.  
  
The crew quickly got their equipment on and ready for the word from ESU that it was safe. They knew that three people were in there - two of them their own - and that they'd be charged with their safe rescue.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Look. Paul. You know how it felt not being able to say goodbye to your kids. Well, let me at least write them a note or something. Let me say goodbye to my family. Please," Faith said, thinking that if she could take his mind off of his task for a moment, she'd be able to make her move. The smoke was thick enough that she began to cough, as did Peterson. She looked over at Bosco and saw that his breathing was more labored.  
  
Peterson looked at her for a moment and she didn't even know if he'd heard her. Suddenly, he stood up and walked to the other room. She took advantage of the time he was out of the room to move Bosco closer to the window and away from the growing flames. That whole side of the room was burning now, blocking their exit. Peterson came back into the room with his cell phone.  
  
"Call them and say goodbye. But don't try anything stupid," he said, holding the cell phone out to her.  
  
She took her hand from her pocket and quickly lunged at him, catching him off guard. The syringe hit him firmly in the side of the neck and she pushed it in as far as she could. He recoiled, dropping the gun. Faith quickly felt around on the floor for the gun and brought it up to point at Peterson just as he'd regained his balance and was coming back at her.  
  
Faith saw the cold look of anger in his eyes and as he lunged for her, she fired a shot - the last bullet in the gun.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"We have fire in multiple rooms," came one of the ESU officer's voices over the radio. "Shots fired inside the house. Repeating, shots fired inside the house. ESU team prepare to enter the building."  
  
Another voice came over the radio from a different vantage point. "Perp down. Repeat, perp is down. Fire is spreading rapidly. Get FD started in here," he said urgently.  
  
The barricades were immediately removed from the end of the street and Billy jumped in the driver's seat as the crew jumped onto the truck. Billy drove the truck up to the house as the Lieutenant called for more engines to help control the rapidly spreading fire. D.K. spotted the hydrant and even before the truck stopped, he was on the ground and running to the hydrant to connect. Carlos and Kim jumped into their ambulance and followed the truck to the scene.  
  
Jimmy grabbed some tools from the truck as he was joined by D.K. after he'd made the hydrant connection and snaked the line. They both told their Lieutenant on the way by that the were going in to attempt a rescue.  
  
"Be careful. No heroics, Doherty!" his Lieutenant called after him.  
  
Doherty and D.K. circled the house and found that all doorways were blocked with heavy fire and smoke, windows popping from the intense heat inside the building. Doherty looked around to find Kim to confirm which room they were in. They wanted to hit the fire with water, but didn't want to push the fire further in on Bosco and Faith. Kim pointed to the window of the room they were in as flames started to overtake the window.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	33. Chapter 33

Revenge  
  
Chapter 33  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Faith was stunned for a moment, trying to figure out what exactly had happened. Just as Peterson was about to pounce on her, she fired the weapon. He hit her arm just at that moment and the gunshot went wide. Still, he fell to the ground and Faith looked at him. Coughing, she got up and went over to the still figure before her. She used her foot to poke at him to see if he was indeed unconscious. Getting no flinch or movement from her efforts, she used her foot to turn him over. There she saw the single gunshot wound to the man's forehead and knew that ESU was at the scene.  
  
"At least they know we're in here," she thought to herself as she turned back to her unconscious partner. She was coughing pretty steadily now and dropped to the floor to get as much clean air as she could. She crawled over to Bosco to check on him. When she got to him, she looked for the rise and fall of his chest and froze when she realized there wasn't any.  
  
"Bosco!" she yelled, shaking him. "Bosco! Don't you die on me now. Not after all the time you've held on," she said, choking on the hot smoke entering her lungs. She felt for a pulse and found one, although it was extremely weak. Figuring he had a pulse because he must've just stopped breathing, she started giving him mouth-to-mouth, wondering how much good she was doing him when she wasn't getting good air herself.  
  
Suddenly, she felt the cool spray of water coming from somewhere. In between breaths she looked up and saw the spray of water coming in through the broken window. She yelled. "IN HERE! WE'RE IN HERE!" She knew that the window wasn't big enough to get through and was very high to the ceiling. She gave Bosco another breath and looked to the doorway of the room. There was a wall of flame that no one would be able to get through.   
  
She heard a voice behind her and turned back toward the window. "We're coming! Get as far away from the window as you can!" Billy called in to her as he wet down the room, hoping to keep the fire away from them long enough.  
  
"He's not breathing! Hurry," she said, coughing hard, tears from smoke, frustration and fear falling from her eyes. "Please hurry!" she cried out.  
  
"We're coming! Jimmy and D.K. are coming. Just hold on!" Billy called to her.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Jimmy and D.K. made several attempts to get into the building but were pushed back by the flames and smoke repeatedly. Everyone stood in horror as they watched the building become more and more engulfed. There were firefighters on the roof venting some of the heat and smoke to give Faith and Bosco, as well as the firefighters trying to enter the building, more time.   
  
The fire commander finally ordered the firefighters off the roof when he got reports about the roof becoming soft. Taking it as a sign of impending collapse he had to order his people off the roof for their safety.  
  
Billy had grabbed a ladder and thrown it against the side of the house. He climbed the ladder and began directing the stream of water from the hose into the bedroom. He looked inside and to his horror saw Faith doing mouth-to-mouth on Bosco. The other man lay dead on the floor, his body beginning to be consumed by the flames.  
  
He yelled in to Faith to let her know that they were there - that they were coming and heard the desperation in her voice as she told them to hurry.   
  
"Jimmy! He's not breathing. We gotta get in there somehow. We got no time left!" Billy yelled over to the team trying to make entry.  
  
"Lieu," Doherty yelled over to his superior officer. "There's no way to make it in there. We gotta go in through this wall!" he yelled. D.K. had run to get the big saw and began to cut through the side of the building as Billy remained on the ladder, applying water to the flames.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
Now that the barricades had been removed, Rose, Mikey and Trisha followed the ambulance and firetruck up the street and were standing with Sully and Ty across the street from the fire scene. They watched everything that was happening, although they couldn't hear much of what was being said.  
  
Just as the wind shifted enough to carry voices toward them, the group heard the one on the ladder yelling to the other firefighter, "he isn't breathing!"  
  
"Oh my God," Trisha and Rose said at the same time.   
  
"He's gonna be okay. They'll get him out," Mikey said, not sure of who he was trying to convince more - his mother or himself.  
  
Trisha stood looking toward the house, her arms wrapped around herself as silent tears ran down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and saw Bosco in her mind. It was the last time they'd been lying next to each other. They were both lying in silence, enjoying the peace and togetherness. They'd finished talking for a couple of hours and now were content to just be with one another.  
  
"Maurice, please. You've got to hold on. I love you, Maurice," she said silently to Bosco.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Faith kept doing mouth-to-mouth. She heard the saw working to cut through the wall and prayed that they'd be in time. She could feel herself losing consciousness, but she fought it. She knew that if she didn't breathe for Bosco, he'd die. She felt again for a pulse and was rewarded with the beat against her fingers.  
  
"Bosco, please. Please hold on," she said, fighting back the tears again.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Bosco felt himself floating. It was like a dream. He could hear Faith's voice calling to him. He tried to call back to her, but he couldn't seem to catch his breath. It seemed very foggy in this dream.   
  
Suddenly, he heard Trisha talking to him. "Maurice, please. You've got to hold on. I love you, Maurice."  
  
"I love you too," Bosco tried to say. He saw Trisha's face. He knew the night that they'd met that they were destined to be together. He remembered the first time they'd made love. The look on her face afterward. She was crying and he thought that he'd moved too fast or that she was sorry she'd let him make love to her. He asked her if she was okay and he felt the tears come to his eyes when she'd told him that she was crying because she was happy. "Please say you'll stay with me," she said to him.   
  
"Yes, Trisha. I promise," he answered and then they'd made love again.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Kim and Carlos watched on along with everyone else as Jimmy and D.K. fought to make the saw work faster. Other firefighters had grabbed axes and were trying to help break through the wall as well.  
  
After a few more moments, there was a hole in the wall and Jimmy and D.K. slipped inside. Carlos and Kim started to move the stretcher and the backboard toward them in order to be as close as possible when they were brought out.  
  
Kim watched on in horror as there was a terrible creaking sound. Suddenly, the Lieutenant was yelling.  
  
"Everyone out of the building. Collapse! Collapse! Everyone out!" he ordered.  
  
"Please let everyone get out okay," she silently prayed while she watched for some sign of the four of them coming out. Billy was standing alongside the hole in the wall. She watched as he threw the hoseline to the ground and went inside the building, ignoring the calls from his Lieutenant to evacuate the building.  
  
A moment later, Billy came out half carrying Faith who was coughing violently and looking back over her shoulder and calling to Bosco.  
  
Right after that Jimmy and D.K. emerged with an unconscious Bosco. A cheer went up all around and Kim and Carlos met them halfway. The crowd again went silent as a lifeless Bosco was placed on the stretcher.  
  
The frenzy of activity to put out the fire was going on around them as Kim and Carlos tried to revive Bosco.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	34. Chapter 34

Revenge  
  
Chapter 34  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rose, Trisha and Mikey watched nervously as Billy came out of the building half carrying Faith. They frantically searched behind the two for any sign of Bosco.  
  
A moment later they saw two firefighters emerge from the smoke carrying Bosco. Kim and Carlos ran with the stretcher to meet them. They tried to cross the street, but the police officers controlling the scene wouldn't let them.   
  
"That's my son. I have to get over there!" Rose said angrily, pushing against the officer that was holding her back. Lieutenant Swersky came up behind her and took her by the arms. "Mrs. Boscorelli. They'll bring him over here and then you can see him. It's too dangerous over there. Look, here they come," he told her, turning her to see that they were moving the stretcher toward the ambulance and away from danger.   
  
A moment later there was a terrible noise as the house totally collapsed, leaving what was left of Paul Richard Peterson inside.  
  
Billy was helping Faith along behind the stretcher and she could be heard saying, "Kim, he's not breathing. Please. Please." Then Faith fell into a coughing fit from all the smoke she'd received. The smoke was making her sick and she gagged in between coughs.  
  
As Carlos and Kim placed the stretcher into the back of the ambulance, Carlos began doing chest compressions on Bosco. Billy took the oxygen from Kim and helped Faith get the mask on her face despite her fights against it. She just wanted to make sure that Bosco was okay.  
  
"Bosco!" she yelled as he was loaded into the stretcher.  
  
"C'mon, Faith," Billy said, trying to take her to another ambulance that was waiting.  
  
Faith broke free and would not leave Bosco.   
  
"No. I'm staying with him. I'm not leaving. Bosco, you hold on," she called to him.  
  
"It's okay. Let her say for a minute," Carlos said as he was working on Bosco. They were starting IVs and breathing for him. "Just keep the oxygen on, Faith," Kim instructed her as Billy tried to put the oxygen mask back on Faith.  
  
Faith used the handle on the back of the ambulance door to help hold herself up as her vision began to blur and spin. She heard the voice of Billy Walsh trying to get her to sit down on the stretcher that the other medics had brought to her, but fought against him.  
  
She felt herself losing the fight to stay conscious, but continued to fight against the medics trying to take care of her.  
  
She felt an arm around her and heard Rose saying, "Faith. You did great. Now let them take care of you. You've done all you can for Maurice. Now it's up to the medics and God. He'll need you to be strong, Faith. Let the medics take care of you."  
  
"I'm sorry, Rose. I'm sorry I didn't find him sooner," Faith said as she relaxed a little and let the medics put on her oxygen. She felt her world grow dark. Swersky, Davis and Sully were with Faith as Rose turned her attention to her son.   
  
Trisha was standing at the back of the ambulance, frozen in fear, as she watched them work on Bosco. "Please, God. Let him be okay," she said quietly in prayer.  
  
Rose watched in horror as Carlos continued CPR and Kim worked on getting medications into him through the IVs. They were talking on the phone to the hospital and getting instructions on what to do. "Maurice. You hold on. Maurice," Rose called to her son as Mikey put an arm around her.  
  
"C'mon, Mo. Fight," Mikey urged him.  
  
Kim was quickly dressing his wounds. "I need a driver!" Kim yelled out of the ambulance as she and Carlos continued to work on Bosco.  
  
"Walsh!" yelled the fire Lieutenant. "Medics need a driver. That's you."  
  
"Yes, Sir," Walsh answered removing his breathing tank. He jumped into the ambulance. "Whenever you're ready," he called back to the medics in the back.  
  
"Go!" Kim yelled as Carlos continued CPR and Kim, having finished administering the medications and controlling the bleeding, was ventilating Bosco. Another firefighter closed the back doors of the ambulance, giving the familiar thump two or three times on the door to let the driver know that it was okay to pull away.  
  
Billy flipped on the siren and pulled quickly away, followed by Faith in the other ambulance.  
  
Lieutenant Swersky, Ty and Sully looked on as the ambulances pulled away, leaving the Boscorelli family standing in the middle of the street.  
  
"Davis, take the Boscorelli's to Mercy. Sully, go get Faith's husband and kids and bring them to Mercy. Desk Sergeant has the address - they're at her in-laws," the Lieutenant instructed.  
  
Ty went and got Rose, Mikey and Trisha and took them to the hospital in 55-Charlie. Sully got into Faith's car, 55-David, and drove toward Faith's family.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	35. Chapter 35

Revenge  
  
Chapter 35  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Billy was driving the ambulance to Mercy as fast as he could. The traffic today was unbelievable. He changed the tones of the siren frequently, trying to get the attention of the other drivers to get them out of the way.  
  
"C'mon!" he yelled in frustration.  
  
"Billy?" Kim asked, concerned with what was happening.  
  
"These damn drivers... What part of 'pull to the right for sirens and lights' don't they understand!" he said in anger. "If it was their house or their family member, you can bet they'd be yelling at us about what took so long!"  
  
"I know. Just try to hurry," Kim said sympathetically. As she kept forcing the oxygen into Bosco's lungs while he couldn't breathe for himself, she looked over the trauma that his body had been through. They'd had to basically strip him down so they could look for any signs of major bleeding or injury that could increase the threat on his life. Now, he lay on the stretcher, helpless, his face, neck and hands covered in the black soot from the fire. A sheet covered him from the waist down and Kim couldn't move her eyes from all the bruises and scrapes and the two gunshot wounds that appeared to have missed anything major. They MUST have missed. There was no other way that Kim could understand how he could still be alive when they had first seen him. Her eyes focused on Carlos' hands performing the CPR that kept the blood and oxygen circulating for Bosco while he couldn't - keeping him alive until they could repair his body enough to do for itself.  
  
"C'mon, Bos. Pull through," she said, leaning down next to his ear. "We're almost there. Hang on."  
  
As a matter of procedure, Kim felt for a pulse while she was ventilating Bosco. She visually checked the fluid levels in the two IV bags that were running into him trying to replace the fluid he'd lost due to his injuries and from dehydration. He'd gone through almost three bags of solution. He had enough to make it to the hospital where they'd hang another full bag.  
  
"Two more blocks," Billy called back to them.  
  
"Wait!" Kim cried out, feeling a pulse in Bosco's neck. Carlos stopped compressions and looked over at the monitor. There was a rhythm there. It wasn't a great rhythm, but at least his heart was trying to beat on its own. Kim continued to ventilate him as they watched the monitor. The rhythm picked up a little and Kim felt the resistance on the ventilator as his body tried to take a breath on its own.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Faith heard noises first. She heard the sounds of the siren. She felt something covering her mouth and felt the cool, clean air as she breathed in. Suddenly, the memories of what had happened came back to her and she fought to sit up. There was an IV running into her and she didn't recognize the medics who were taking care of her.  
  
"Officer, it's okay. You're on your way to Mercy. You took in a lot of smoke, but you're going to be okay," one of the medics told her. "Just lie back and try to relax. You need to calm down."  
  
She fought back and finally was able to get to a sitting position as the medic put the back of the stretcher up. "Bosco," she said hoarsely, her throat dry from the heat and smoke and oxygen.  
  
"He's right in front of us. They're working on him," she was told.  
  
"Is he gonna...," she said, unable to finish the sentence.  
  
"They're doing everything they can. It's a miracle he made it this far so let's keep a good thought. You'll be able to see him in a minute. We're almost at the hospital," she was told.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
Ty followed the two ambulances closely. Rose, Mikey and Trisha sat silently in the car.  
  
"He's strong," Rose said quietly.  
  
"I don't know, Ma," Mikey answered. "He's been through a lot." Rose turned to look at her son from the front seat. "I'm sorry," Mikey said, apologizing for his lack of positive thinking.  
  
Trisha sat staring out the window of the car, not taking her eyes off the ambulances in front of her. Every time they took a turn she got another glimpse of the ambulance in front - the one that Maurice was in. Her grip tightened on Mikey's hand, tears started to fall and she quickly wiped them away.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
Sully arrived at Fred's parents house and knocked on the door. He hated these kinds of things. He knew that every time he had to go to the family of someone on the job, terror went through that family as they saw an officer at their door. They expected the worst.  
  
Fred opened the door and looked into the sad eyes of Officer John Sullivan. They'd just gotten home from the store and weren't aware of what was going on over the last few hours.  
  
"Sully?" Fred asked, fear suddenly gripping him.  
  
"She's okay, Fred. She just took some smoke at a fire. They're just bringing her in to get checked out," Sully told him.  
  
"Fire? What fire?" Fred asked, opening the door to let Sully in. Emily, Charlie and Fred's parents came into the room.  
  
"Dad?" Emily said, seeing the worry on her father's face.  
  
"It's okay, Em. Mom just had to get checked out," Fred said, waiting for Sully to answer him about the fire.  
  
"Um," Sully started, looking at the kids and back to Fred, not knowing if he should let the kids hear what was going on.  
  
"Kids. Go into the other room with Grandma and Grandpa," Fred told them, knowing from Sully's look that there was more to tell.  
  
"But, Dad," Emily started to argue, but Fred cut her off.  
  
"Em! Go in the other room with Charlie," he said, giving her a look that meant she shouldn't challenge him. Emily took Charlie by the hand and followed her grandparents out to the kitchen.  
  
"Bosco's hurt. It's pretty bad. I don't know if he's gonna make it. They were doing CPR when they pulled away in the ambulance. Couple of gunshot wounds, smoke inhalation. I don't know what else," Sully relayed to him.  
  
"My God," Fred said.  
  
"I'll give you and the kids a ride if you want," Sully offered and Fred nodded.  
  
"Emily, Charlie. Let's go. Let's go get your Mom," Fred called to them.  
  
The kids came out into the living room and Emily said, "Dad?"  
  
He looked at Emily and Charlie who were looking at him and waiting to find out what was going on. "Uncle Bosco's hurt pretty bad," he said finally. The three followed Sully out silently. Fred called over his shoulder to his parents, "I'll call you as soon as I see her."  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"C'mon, Bos. C'mon back," Kim urged in his ear. The rate on the monitor got a little stronger, but then there were a couple of irregular heartbeats and he stopped again.   
  
"Damn it!" yelled Carlos as he started compressions again. "Billy! We need to be there. NOW!" he yelled into the front of the ambulance.  
  
"One more corner!" Billy yelled back, as he steered the ambulance around the last corner. "You got a whole team here waiting for you," he told them as he saw the trauma team waiting for their arrival in the ambulance bay of the hospital.  
  
Billy pulled the ambulance to a stop and the back doors were pulled open. The stretcher was pulled out and a flurry of activity began.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	36. Chapter 36

Revenge  
  
Chapter 36  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The heavy smell of smoke and burned wood filled the air. The flames were out, except for a few "hot spots" that were still smoldering. The firefighters continued to sift through the debris, putting out the smoldering embers and looking for the body of Paul Richard Peterson.  
  
The police car pulled up alongside the burned out house. The door opened and Billy Walsh got out. He'd caught a ride with an officer that was leaving the hospital from another call. He thanked the officer for the ride and walked over to the truck to get a pike pole to start digging through the rubble for any smoldering embers. Jimmy looked at his face and knew things were not good for Bosco.  
  
"Hey," Jimmy said to him as he approached.   
  
"Hey," Billy replied back somberly as the other members of the crew gathered around to hear about what happened.  
  
"It's not good, guys. I just don't know if he's gonna make it. I was talking to Kimmy after they turned him over to the trauma team. He's got two gunshot wounds, one of them was from those last shots. He threw himself on top of the kid so he wouldn't get shot. The other one seems like it's from a few days ago and it looks infected. He's beat up pretty bad and he took in a lot of smoke from the fire," he said, pausing.  
  
"Did they get him back? They were doing CPR on the way out of here," D.K. asked him.  
  
Billy nodded. "Yeah, for a minute, but then they lost him again. I don't know if they got him back again or not. They were still working on him, but I wanted to get back here to the fire. The place is mobbed with cops," he finished.  
  
"How's Faith?" asked Jimmy.  
  
"She's okay, I think. She just took a lot of smoke. She was waiting to go in with him as soon as they let her," Billy answered.  
  
"Okay guys. Let's get back to work," the Lieutenant said. "We've got hot spots to put out." The crew quietly went back to work.  
  
"I found him," came the voice of a firefighter a short time later. "Not much left of him though," he added as the detectives came over to him.  
  
"Good," Jimmy said under his breath, but loud enough for D.K. and Walsh to hear and silently agree.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
Rose, Trisha and Mikey were sitting in the waiting room with Ty and what seemed to be a hundred other men and women in uniform - many of them the upper echelon that always show up at the hospital when one of their numbers is seriously hurt. Every time a door opened, all eyes turned toward it hoping for word on Bosco.  
  
Rose looked at Trisha. She hadn't made a sound the whole way over here and now she sat staring off into space, her hands grasping each other tightly. Rose covered her hands with her own.  
  
"Trisha? Are you okay?" she asked the girl gently. She didn't get an answer - almost like Trisha hadn't heard her.  
  
"Honey?" she asked a little louder. Trisha looked over at her with haunted eyes.  
  
"Talk to me. What is it?" Rose asked, sensing it was more than just Maurice's condition - like that wasn't bad enough.  
  
Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Rose. "It's just..., I can't...," she stopped beginning to sob. Rose pulled her into her and wrapped her arms around her.  
  
"Sshh. It's okay. He's gonna make it. I just know it," she soothed, rocking Trisha gently. She held her for a few moments until she felt the sobs subside. Then, "You know that he's gonna be okay, right?"  
  
Trisha nodded her head against Rose's shoulder. "It's just that. I remember sitting in a hospital waiting room the day my parents died. They were killed by a drunk driver. I was in the car and I didn't have a scratch on me. I was only five, but there was no other family - no one to come and take me home. That's how I ended up in foster care for the next 13 years - shuffled from one home to the next - always making friends and bonds and then getting moved around. Everyone always left, or I left...," she told Rose, the tears starting to fall again.  
  
Rose hugged her again. "We're not leaving. And you don't have to either. Besides Maurice is going to need you to help him heal."  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
After they had transferred Bosco over to the hospital's stretcher, they stood outside the room watching them work. Kim had switched the oxygen mask over to the hospital's oxygen and still felt his hair on her hand where she'd touched his head and told him to fight before she left the room. Carlos could still see the veins standing out in his hand from the workout they'd gotten by doing CPR. His hands ached from the fatigue and he was soaked in sweat.  
  
When they'd pulled up into the hospital, nurses had tried to take over for both Kim and Carlos, but they'd refused. "We've got him," they both said and the nurses stood back, knowing that there was an emotional connection between the medics and this officer. They stepped aside and let them bring him into the emergency room. There they turned him over to the care of the hospital. Having done all that they could do for him, they had to wait for word like the rest of the people.  
  
After a moment of watching them work, their view was obstructed by the team working on him and the equipment being brought in to help keep him alive. They each felt a hand on their shoulder from behind and turned to see Doc standing behind them. He'd been down at his office doing paperwork and was listening on the scanner. He'd come to see how Bosco was and to see how his medics were doing. They didn't even notice him waiting for them to arrive and following them into the hospital. He'd been standing behind them, watching along with them. It wasn't that long ago that they'd lost another one of their own - Alex Taylor.   
  
"C'mon, guys. Why don't you get cleaned up and get something to drink," Doc said calmly. He walked down the hall with them and into the lounge.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Faith sat on the edge of her stretcher looking into the other room, tears falling from her eyes as she watched the chest compressions continuing. They'd put him on a ventilator because he couldn't breathe on his own. She wanted to be in there with him, but they told her no. She had to watch from where she was - helpless. She was unable to touch him, even just to hold his hand let him know she was there.  
  
She pulled the oxygen mask off her face. Her throat and chest hurt from the coughing and from the smoke, and her head was pounding. The nurse had gone to get her something for her headache and something to clean up with. She sat staring - afraid if she took her eyes off of him, she'd lose him.  
  
"Faith?" came the quiet voice from the doorway. She knew the voice immediately and held out a hand to him, still not taking her eyes from Bosco. Fred crossed the room and was at her side.  
  
"Faith, are you okay?" he asked her as he held her close to him. He felt her tears soak his shirt and felt her start to shake from the sobs.   
  
"I'm okay," she finally managed to get out in a whisper. "But, Bosco...," she trailed off. Fred looked over at the man in the next room. He was always so vibrant, active. Except for that time that he'd broken down in their apartment that night and he'd walked in on him, he'd never seen Bosco have a weak moment. And now, here he was, dependent on everyone else to pull him through this. He never did know that Fred had seen him crying that night and after that he'd had a new understanding of Bosco and the bond that he and Faith had for each other.  
  
"He'll be okay, Faith. He's strong. He'll be okay," he repeated as Faith stiffened at the sight of them stopping CPR. Everyone stood still in the room, except for a couple of the nurses who were in charge of keeping things from getting too cluttered - moving equipment that was no longer needed and keeping track of discarded needles and medications bottles.  
  
Faith sat up straight and Fred gripped her hand tightly. "Fred? Oh my God," she said. "Bosco!" she yelled, jumping off the stretcher. "No!" she yelled as she ran out of her room and headed for Bosco's room.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	37. Chapter 37

Revenge  
  
Chapter 37  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Wait! I'm feeling a pulse. Stop compressions," the head of the trauma team ordered. Everyone stilled while they looked at the monitor. The only movement was that of the two nurses who were in charge of keeping the room clear and keeping track of medications that were used so it could be charted later when things calmed down.  
  
Everyone waited, listening to the beeps on the monitor. First one, then another and then another. There was finally a steady rhythm. It wasn't perfect, but it was good.  
  
"Okay, Dr. Morris. Let's start assessing his injuries and get him back among the living," the trauma doctor told his associate.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Faith careened around the corner of the room, crashing into one of the doctors coming out. He grabbed hold of her by the shoulders. "He's alive, Officer. He's alive," he told her as Fred caught up with her.  
  
"What? I thought...," she said, not finishing her sentence.   
  
"We got a rhythm back. I'm not saying he's gonna be fine. He's been through a lot and I would say it'd be a miracle if he survives, but he made it this far," the doctor told her, not wanting to get her hopes up.  
  
"Can I see him? Please? Just for a minute?" she begged. The doctor looked over his shoulder, sensing the desperation in her plea.  
  
"Jim! This Officer would like to see her partner for a moment," he called over to one of the other doctors.  
  
"Absolutely," the doctor answered. "But quickly. We need to get him up to the operating room." Normally, they wouldn't accommodate someone with a patient this critical, but everyone understood the closeness of a police officer with his/her partner.  
  
Faith was frozen for a moment. "Faith?" she heard Fred in her ear. "Do you want me to go with you?" he asked, gently squeezing her hand.  
  
"Uh, no. I'll be fine. Besides, I don't think there's enough room in there for two people. I'll be right back," she told him as she pulled her hand from his and walked toward her partner.  
  
"It'd be better if you came over to this side, Officer," the doctor told her. "Less machinery. You can get closer," he said.  
  
Faith stepped around to the other side of the bed and looked down at her partner. He had such a peaceful look on his face. She didn't remember ever seeing that look - except for the time right after he broke down in her apartment. He'd fallen asleep on her couch when she went to get him a drink. When she'd returned, he was sound asleep and she saw him without a frown for the first time in months. She'd thrown a blanket over him and she and Fred went to bed.  
  
And now, he had that same peaceful look on his face. "Bos?" she whispered close to his ear. She looked down to see if she could take his hand. She grasped it and held on tight, willing him to squeeze her hand back. "Can you hear me?" she asked. The nurses and doctors had backed away somewhat, trying to give her some privacy.  
  
"Bos. You need to be strong now. You need to fight as hard as you can. We need you. You did great protecting that kid. He's gonna be fine," she said, hoping she was right. She hadn't checked on him yet.  
  
"Please, Bos. I need you to be okay. I'm sorry it took so long for me to find you. I'm sorry, Bos," she said, tears falling again. She felt a tightening on her hand and looked down to see that Bosco was barely squeezing back. She looked at his face and saw his eyes flutter for a moment, but they remained closed. There was a slight increase to the rate showing on the cardiac monitor.  
  
"Bos? Can you hear me?" she asked and felt the squeeze again, slightly stronger this time.  
  
"Okay, Bos. You stay strong and fight. The doctors are taking care of you. You're at Mercy. I'll be right here waiting for you. Trisha, your Mom and Mikey are outside. So is practically all of the 55th," she told him and he gripped her hand again, but it was weaker this time. She sensed that he was tiring.  
  
The doctor stepped up to her. "Officer. We really need to move him upstairs now. You can wait up there. There's a room right outside of the O.R. Why don't you go with the nurse right now and she'll help you get cleaned up and finish being checked out," he told her gently.  
  
"Okay," she answered him. She squeezed Bosco's hand again and touched his forehead. "I'll be waiting, Bos. Keep fighting," she told him in his ear and was rewarded with another squeeze.  
  
They started moving his stretcher away and his hand was pulled from hers. "Please, Doc. He's gotta be okay. Take care of him," she said.  
  
"I'll be right with him the whole time, Officer. I'll let you know how it's going as soon as I can," Dr. Morris told her.  
  
She watched until Bosco was out of sight and then she felt totally drained and exhausted. Fred was there to catch her as she leaned on him. The nurse helped him get her back to her room and she lay back on the stretcher, eyes closed.  
  
"Faith," Fred whispered to her. "I'm gonna bring the kids in, just so they can see that you're okay."  
  
"Okay. Thanks. Yeah, I wanna see my babies. Tell them I'm okay," she said, almost inaudibly.  
  
When Fred returned with the kids, Faith was sound asleep. "Mom's okay. She's just really worn out. She needs time to get well. Grandma and Grandpa are coming to pick you up and bring you home with them. If they decide to keep Mom here, I'll bring you back first thing in the morning, okay?" he told them.  
  
He watched as the kids looked at their mother, worry on their faces. It didn't help that she still had the soot and dirt on her face from the fire. "You can go give her a kiss if you want. She probably won't wake up, but go ahead," he urged them.  
  
Emily went up to her first and kissed her mother on the cheek. "Love you, Mom." She picked Charlie up so that he could reach her as well. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and told her he loved her too. "See you tomorrow," he said as Emily put him back down.  
  
"Okay, guys. Let's go. Let's let Mom get some rest," he said, gently guiding them outside.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Rose, Trisha and Mikey stood up as they saw Bosco being wheeled past them. He was hooked up to machines and he looked like he was asleep. A machine was still breathing for him. They caught up to the stretcher at the elevator and the doctor was told who they were.  
  
"Mrs. Boscorelli," he said to Rose as Trisha and his brother listened. "He's very critical. He's got some severe injuries that need treatment right away. As you can see, we did get his heart started again, but he's not yet breathing on his own. Part of that is from the collapsed lung that he had from a broken rib puncturing it. We put in a chest tube for that and re-inflated the lung. Another reason is because of the smoke inhalation and the fact that he's.., well, he's just too weak to do it on his own right now. That's okay. I expect that to correct itself as he gets stronger," the doctor explained to them.  
  
"Is he going to survive, Doctor?" Rose asked him. Trisha stepped over and held onto the hand that had just released Faith's and felt a slight squeeze back.  
  
"I won't lie to you, Mrs. Boscorelli. It could go either way right now. I can't believe he made it this far with all I'm told he endured. So, he's proven to us that he's strong-willed," the doctor said, being interrupted by a chuckle from Bosco's brother, mother and girlfriend.  
  
"More like hard-headed," Rose told him, letting him in on the joke.  
  
"Well, whatever it is, it'll work in his favor. Look, I've got to get him up to surgery now. You can wait upstairs with his partner. I'll get word out to you and let you know how he's doing. If he makes it the next 48 hours, he'll have a good chance at recovering. But, it'll be a long, hard road back. He'll go to ICU right after the Recovery Room. I'll definitely come find you when he's out of the O.R.," the doctor told her.  
  
"Thank you," Rose said, stepping forward to kiss her son on the side of his head. "I love you, Maurice."  
  
Trisha lifted his hand and held it to her lips. She reached up with the other hand and smoothed his hair. His brother also touched his arm and said, "Hang in there, Mo."  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Fred had gone out to the waiting room to bring the kids to his Mom and Dad who had come to the hospital to wait for word on Faith and her partner. Ty and Sully came over to him.  
  
"How's she doing?" they asked him.  
  
"She's out like a light. I'll be surprised if they don't keep her at least overnight. Not that I'd be able to get her to leave anyway," Fred said.  
  
"Any word on Bosco?" Sully asked him.  
  
"He's alive, barely. He looks awful. They took him up to surgery. I figure he'll go to ICU after that. He's pretty bad. They don't know how it'll go, but he made it this far. What exactly happened?" Fred asked, finally wondering about the particulars now that he'd found out everyone was still alive.  
  
Sully and Ty filled him in on what had happened and a few minutes later the firefighters came in straight from the scene of the fire. They were released to go back to quarters, but wanted to stop by and see how Bosco and Faith were. They were all still covered in soot, dirt and sweat, the concern and exhaustion showing on their faces.  
  
Fred walked over to Jimmy, D.K. and Billy and extended his hand to them. "Thank you. For getting Faith and Bosco out of there. Thank you for saving their lives. I heard it was pretty hairy in there and you just made it out before everything collapsed. I just wanted to thank you," finishing shaking the third man's hand.  
  
"I'm glad we could get to them. I have to admit, I had some doubts there at the end. I thought we were going to lose them," Jimmy said.   
  
"So, how's everyone doing?" D.K. asked.  
  
Fred filled them in and then they decided to get back to quarters, get themselves and the truck cleaned up and ready for the next run. "Keep us posted," Billy called over to Ty before they left.  
  
"You got it," Ty said, waving to them.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	38. Chapter 38

Revenge  
  
Chapter 38  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Faith?" Fred said quietly and got no answer. "Faith," he said a little louder. Faith opened her eyes, not remembering where she was at first. She blinked a few times and then sat up quickly.  
  
"It's okay. You're at Mercy. Do you remember now?" Fred asked her as the nurse turned on the light over the stretcher.  
  
"Yeah," she said, wiping at her eyes trying to wake up. "Where's Bosco?" she asked him.  
  
"He's still in surgery. He's holding on, Faith," he told her.   
  
"Where's the kids?" she asked.  
  
"They're fine. They're back at my parents' house. They came in to see you, but you were out. They gave you a kiss, told you they loved you and then they headed home with my parents," he told her.  
  
"Were they scared. Why didn't you wake me up?" she said irritably.   
  
"We tried. You were exhausted. I don't think an explosion would've woke you up," he said with a smile. "As far as being scared. The only thing that scared them was the soot and dirt all over your face," he said. She touched her face with her hand and looked at her hand covered with dirt.   
  
"Look, Faith, they want to keep you overnight," he told her and she started to object.  
  
"It's that or I have orders from the doctor to take you straight home. I know you want to be here for Bosco, but you won't do him much good if you're not well. You've been through a lot today. You need to rest. You can rest here - in the hospital - and still be close by for any news. I already talked to Sully. He'll come tell us as soon as there's any news. You'll be discharged tomorrow morning. I'll get the kids first thing in the morning and bring them with me when I come to get you," he urged her as the nurse waited. She seemed to accept the fact that she was staying there tonight.  
  
"Want to get cleaned up?" the nurse asked her. She nodded her head and started to stand up. She felt a little dizzy and had to lean back on the stretcher.  
  
"That's normal," the nurse told her. "You're a little dehydrated. We've been giving you fluids through the IV, but we can probably take that out now. You think you can eat and drink anything?" the nurse asked her.  
  
"I'm not hungry," she said, swallowing hard and still feeling the rawness of her throat from the smoke. "I could use something to drink though."  
  
The nurse poured her some water and began taking out her IV. "I'll bring you some applesauce or something. You really need to eat something. When's the last time you ate?" she asked Faith.  
  
"Um..., I really don't remember. Sometime yesterday, I think," she finally answered.  
  
"Uh huh. You eat something or I don't take out the IV," she warned her.  
  
"Okay, I'll try something to eat, but not applesauce. My mother always made me eat that when I was sick," Faith finally agreed making a face. The nurse finished taking out the IV and then left to get something for Faith to eat.  
  
"They'll move you upstairs in a little bit," Fred told her. He leaned in to kiss her. "I'm glad you're okay. I was so scared when Sully showed up at the door," he told her.  
  
"Sully? That's how you found out? Didn't you have the news on and see what was going on?" Faith asked him, sorry that he had to go through the scare of seeing a police officer at the door.  
  
He shook his head. "No. We took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese to get them away from the television for a while. They were worried about you - WE were worried about you and I thought they needed to get their minds off it for a while," he said. "We'd just gotten home when Sully got there."  
  
"Good idea. They would have been scared to death if they'd seen it on the news. Thanks, Fred. So, how long have I been asleep? How long has Bosco been in surgery? Is there any news about how he's doing?" she asked suddenly.  
  
The nurse came back into the room, "How about some orange juice and some peach yogurt?"  
  
"Sounds great," Faith said feigning an interest in eating.   
  
"Okay. Eat up and then we'll get you settled upstairs where you can take a shower and get some clean clothes on. I'm sending up a pair of O.R. scrubs for you to change into, but don't let anyone know where you got them," she said, winking at Faith.  
  
"Thanks," Faith said, surprised that once she'd started eating, she realized how hungry she actually was.  
  
"I checked on your partner. He's still in surgery and at last report, he's holding his own. You probably won't be able to see him until the morning by the time they finish and he gets out of the Recovery Room, but the nurse upstairs can check again for you in a little while," the nurse told her, leaving the room.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
"Okay, I don't see anything else that needs surgical repair in here. This is one lucky son of a bitch," Dr. Morris said to his surgical team as they prepared to begin closing Bosco's surgical incision.  
  
They had explored where he was struck by the bullets. One entered his side, but managed to avoid doing any irreparable damage. It did graze his liver, but that was a superficial injury to the liver and would heal on its own. They evacuated any blood that had collected in his abdomen from the bullet wound, removed the bullet and flushed everything out. They explored his wound from the gunshot to his back and he had a fracture of his scapula - the shoulder blade. The bullet appeared to ricochet and nicked his lung. They would keep an eye on this small hole that they believed would seal itself also.  
  
They concluded that the collapsed lung had affected his breathing such that when he started inhaling the smoke from the fire, combined with his weakened condition due to infection from the bullet wound, and shock, his heart had stopped.  
  
"Okay, when we get him out to the Recovery Room, we need to bombard him with antibiotics. I want regular chest x-rays and respiratory checks to keep tabs on his lungs. I also want a repeat CT Scan of that head wound to compare with the one from the E.R.," the doctor ordered.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Dr. Morris walked down the hallway and looked out the window of the door to the waiting area before opening it. There were a lot of people. He had seen some of the news coverage, both from when the officer went missing and from the fire that led up to his arrival here. If the man's partner had not found him and been there to do mouth-to-mouth, he wouldn't have survived. He looked around the room and located Officer Boscorelli's mother and family. He swung the door open and went right over to them.  
  
"Mrs. Boscorelli," he said, outstretching her hand. "We were not properly introduced earlier. My name is Dr. Michael Morris. I took care of your son upon his arrival here and just finished his surgery," he said.  
  
"Thank you. This is his brother Michael and his girlfriend, Trisha," Rose said. "How is my son, Doctor?"  
  
"He tolerated the procedure well. There wasn't as much damage internally as we initially thought. The bullets managed to rumble around inside without doing too much damage thankfully," he started.  
  
"Wait, Doctor. Bullets? As in more than one?" Rose asked.  
  
The doctor nodded, thinking that the number of gunshot wounds would not be a surprise to anyone. "Yes. He sustained a gunshot would to his left side, which went through and just grazed his liver. This will heal much like a scrape to the skin would. The other wound entered his right shoulder area from the back. This bullet hit his scapula, which is basically your shoulder blade, causing a fracture then ricocheted down and nicked his right lung. This hole will seal itself, we believe. So, we cleaned out the wounds and there is some infection from the first wound, which appeared to be older - maybe a couple of days old. We'll start him on some pretty strong antibiotics for this, but I expect him to recover well. He did have some trauma to his head from which appears to have given him a concussion. We did a CT Scan on admission to the E.R. and we'll do another in the morning - sooner if symptoms warrant - to make sure that everything is okay there," the doctor said, pausing to give them time to ask any questions they may have.  
  
"So, you think he'll be okay?" Trisha asked the doctor.  
  
"Well, there's no absolute guarantees, but I don't feel that there's anything preventing him from making a complete recovery. He'll be out of it for a few days because of the medications and the shear exhaustion, so don't expect too much wakefulness or conversation," Dr. Morris said with a smile.  
  
"If there're no more questions, I'll go back and get Officer Boscorelli settled in the Recovery Room. If you think of any questions or something else comes up, you can have the nurses page me. I'll be around all night and the rest of the weekend," he offered, shaking hands with all three of them.  
  
"Thanks, Doctor," Mikey said.  
  
"My pleasure. He's an extremely strong person. Now we just have to pick up the slack and let him get strong again," he said, turning to go back into the O.R.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC...  
  
HOW COULD YOU THINK I'D KILL OFF BOSCO?! YOU MUST KNOW THAT I COULD NEVER KILL MY BOSCO! HOW COULD YOU EVEN ENTERTAIN SUCH THOUGHTS!?!?!?! ;) 


	39. Chapter 39

Revenge  
  
Chapter 39  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I thought you went home," Jimmy said to Carlos and Kim as he came downstairs to get something to eat. It was about 2:30 in the morning and no one felt like eating earlier, so they kind of skipped making a meal. Luckily, the rest of the night was quiet, with only a few minor rubbish fires and one car fire.  
  
Carlos and Kim were sitting in the TV room. Kim was watching an old movie and Carlos was trying to read a magazine, but was fighting off sleep.  
  
"We're working a double," Kim told him through a mouthful of popcorn. Jimmy looked at the screen.  
  
"Not this one!" he said, laughing and getting Carlos' attention. Jimmy looked at Carlos. "You better get the tissues out. Every time!" he said.  
  
"What? I just like it for the songs they play during the movie," Kim said, trying to defend herself.  
  
"Uh huh," Jimmy said, walking out into the kitchen to get something to drink. Coming back into the room, he said, "So, have you heard anything about Bosco and Faith?"  
  
Carlos said, "Yeah. Bosco's out of surgery and they think he's gonna be okay by some miracle. They're keeping Faith overnight just for observation."  
  
"Yeah, not like she was leaving the hospital anyway," Kim said. "I still can't believe that whole thing. That guy was such a psycho."  
  
"Yeah, well I can't believe you were able to give Faith that needle before you left. You took a chance trying to treat Bosco too. What would Joey have done if that guy shot you," Jimmy told her.  
  
"Oh, don't even start talking to me about taking stupid chances, Jimmy Doherty. You're the king of that department and you know it. All I did was put it in her hand. It's not like I stayed in there and stabbed the guy myself," Kim argued.  
  
"Okay, okay. I give. Anyway, that was quick thinking," Jimmy replied, holding his hands in the air in surrender.  
  
"Still. I can't imagine what would have happened if she wasn't able to disarm that guy. They'd probably both be dead right now," Carlos said.  
  
All three were silent as they stared at the television and thought of what could have happened. A moment later, Jimmy looked over at Kim and saw tears running down her face. He looked at Carlos, "See!"   
  
"Oh, go back to bed," Kim said, throwing a handful of popcorn at him as he ran around the corner to head back upstairs.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Bosco had just been settled into the ICU from the Recovery Room. Faith walked up the stairs two flights to get to the ICU floor when her nurse had found out that he was moved from the Recovery Room. She'd sent Fred home to let the kids know that she was okay and would be home in the morning.  
  
Now, she looked at Rose and Michael Boscorelli, asleep as they leaned against each other in the waiting room outside of the unit. Trisha wasn't there. Faith went through the doors and up to the nurse's desk.   
  
"Can I help you?" asked the nurse sitting at the desk. She looked at Faith, noticing the hospital scrubs, not sure if she was a new doctor or O.R. nurse.  
  
"Um," Faith said. "I'd like to see Officer Boscorelli, please."  
  
"I'm sorry. Are you immediate family?" asked the nurse quietly.  
  
Before Faith could answer, a voice from behind her answered for her. "As close as you can get without being immediate family. This is Officer Boscorelli's partner, Mary. You can let her in to see him whenever she'd like," said Dr. Morris as he came out of Bosco's room.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't know," the nurse apologized. "You can go right in, but try not to disturb him."  
  
"Okay," Faith said, turning toward Bosco's room. "Um, how is he, Doctor?"  
  
"I think he's going to make a full recovery. Although, it is going to take some time. He's been through quite a lot, but he's strong and I think that he's got a great network of help waiting," the doctor replied, walking into the room with her. "His girlfriend is in with him also. I don't expect him to wake up for a few hours yet. We have him pretty heavily sedated," he told her as Trisha looked up at them when they entered.  
  
"Thanks," she said, looking over at the bed that held her partner and best friend. She drew in a sharp breath at the sight of all the IVs and tubes. She'd never seen all of the bruises until now. He was covered only from the waist down because a nurse was checking the dressings and drainage tubes. He had large dark purple bruises all about his chest, stomach and sides where Peterson must have hit him with something or kicked him.  
  
Dr. Morris watched her reaction and noticed her face go pale and her gasp. "Officer? Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out to support her at the elbow and lead her to a chair.  
  
"Um, yeah. I just didn't.... It was dark in that house and I didn't know he was hurt so bad. What exactly were all his injuries?" she asked quietly so as not to disturb him.   
  
"Well, let's see. He had a gunshot wound to the left side. He had another, more recent gunshot wound to the right shoulder that apparently entered from the back. He has a concussion from some kind of trauma to his head, a broken rib that collapsed his left lung and, as you can see, multiple bruises and abrasions. The bullets didn't cause too much damage inside. We believe that his internal injuries will heal themselves. The chest tube is for the collapsed lung. That should be removed in a day or so, when we're sure that the lung won't collapse again, and we're fighting an infection with antibiotics," he explained to her.  
  
"Wow," Faith said. "What about his heart? I mean, I saw them doing CPR when we got out of that fire."  
  
Dr. Morris told her the same thing he'd told Bosco's family. "Thanks, Doctor," Faith said.  
  
"My pleasure. Now, you can visit, but you need to get some rest also so not too long," Dr. Morris told her before leaving.  
  
Faith turned back to Bosco and noticed Trisha sitting on the other side of him for the first time. "Hi," she said quietly to her.  
  
"Hi, Faith. How are you doing?" Trisha asked her.  
  
She walked closer to Bosco's bed and looked down at him. "I'm fine. Just some smoke. That was something, huh?" she said, referring to the ordeal they'd just been through.  
  
"Thank you, Faith. For keeping him alive," Trisha said, new tears glistening in her eyes.  
  
"I just wish I could've found him sooner. Maybe he wouldn't have been hurt so bad," she said, thinking back to when she had gone home and fallen asleep with exhaustion. She was mad at herself for that. Maybe, if she'd gotten there sooner, she'd have prevented that second gunshot wound and the fire.  
  
"Faith?" Trisha repeated, finally getting Faith's attention.  
  
"I'm sorry, what?" Faith asked her.  
  
"I said, 'You did all you could do.' We're just lucky we got him back," Trisha said, putting a hand on Bosco's arm.  
  
"Yeah," Faith said, looking at the monitor screen and listening to the steady sound of beeps that was his pulse.  
  
Trisha sensed that Faith wanted a moment alone with Bosco. "Would you stay with him for a minute? I just want to run to the ladies' room."  
  
"Oh sure. Take your time - maybe get something to eat or something," Faith suggested.  
  
"Thanks," Trisha said. She stood up and bent over to whisper something in Bosco's ear and then walked around the bed toward the door. She stopped when she reached Faith's side. Tears filled her eyes, causing Faith's to fill also, and she hugged her.  
  
"Thank you for saving him, Faith. You'll never know how much I appreciate it. I just don't think I'd be able to stand losing someone else," she said and then walked from the room, leaving Faith to wonder exactly what she'd been through in her life. She'd yet to get to really know Trisha, but she had a feeling that this may be the one that stays around. Trisha walked past the nurse's desk and Dr. Morris looked up at her from his paperwork. "I think she needs some time with him," Trisha said to the doctor and he nodded.  
  
Faith watched Trisha walk outside the door and then turned back toward Bosco. She listened to the steady sound of him breathing and the beat of the cardiac monitor. She wanted to reach out and touch him to let him know that she was there, but she was afraid also. Afraid that he'd know she was there and be disappointed in her for not finding him sooner. She still blamed herself for all of his injuries. This wasn't the first time that she wasn't there for him and he'd almost been killed.   
  
Her mind went back to when she was sick from the radiation for her cancer. She jumped at the remembered sounds of the gunfire on the floors above her. She remembered pulling herself up off the landing of the stairs and how heavy her legs were as she willed them to climb the stairs faster. She remembered the eerie silence when she reached the top of the stairs and the heavy smell of gunpowder from the fired shots that hung in the hallway. She leaned against the wall, the blood from the perp they were chasing smeared on the wall, daring them to find him. And Bosco had - but at what cost because of Faith. All because she didn't tell him what was happening to her. She didn't want to be treated differently and it had almost gotten her closest friend - her partner - killed. She thought again and felt again the sickness in the pit of her stomach when she peeked around the corner and saw him lying in the doorway, face away from her, so still. She wanted to run to him right then, but she couldn't. She had to make sure that she wouldn't get shot by the same madman and not be able to help him. "Oh God," she'd thought to herself. "He's not moving." "Bosco!" she'd yelled in a whisper so many times without an answer.  
  
Suddenly, she was brought back to the present by the sound of the heart monitor's increased beeping. She realized that she had been calling to him for real while she was remembering that night. Tears streaked her cheeks as she looked down at him now and saw the slight frown of his brow. He'd heard her calling to him and was trying to fight the medication to wake up. She pulled up the chair on this side of the bed, her back to the doorway. She didn't know that Dr. Morris was had come to the doorway because of the increased rate showing on the monitor at the nurse's desk. He listened as she sat down and put both hands on his arm.  
  
"Bosco. I'm sorry," she said, beginning to cry harder now. "I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner. I let you down again and you almost died again. Please, Bosco. Please be okay," she said, laying her head on the bed as she sobbed.  
  
Dr. Morris watched the monitor from across the doorway as the rate increased. He watched to make sure it didn't reach a dangerous level. Right now, it was slightly elevated, but within the normal ranges of stimulation. He knew that Officer Boscorelli was trying to respond to his partner and wanted to give him time to try and wake up - for his partner's sake. Obviously something had happened in the past that was tearing at her and it needed to be settled. He didn't need to know what it was, but he'd seen it before with other officers and non-officers that had been critically or fatally wounded. Sometimes their partners or family were torn up and agonized because they felt they should have done more or make amends for something in the past. Sometimes they were able to get some peace - sometimes they weren't. He sensed that Officer Boscorelli was trying to respond to Officer Yokas. He watched the monitor as the rate increased and the frown on his face grew. His legs moved slightly as if he was trying to get up. He took a step toward them and was just about to tell the Officer that she'd have to leave - try again later - when she raised her head from the bed and looked at her partner.  
  
Faith sobbed while she gripped Bosco's arm. She heard the rate increase on the monitor and knew she'd upset him somehow. She tried to get herself under control so as not to agitate him further. Suddenly, she felt his arm move under her hands. She lifted her head and looked up at him. She saw the frown on his face, his legs moving slightly. She looked back at his face again. "Bosco?" she said quietly, moving one of her hands to his. She was rewarded with a squeeze of her hand and his eyes fluttered slightly. His lips moved around the breathing tube as if he was trying to say something.  
  
"It's okay, Bos. You can't talk right now because of the tube. Just relax," she said in a soothing tone, happy tears this time escaping from her eyes. He relaxed slightly and stopped thrashing, his eyes closed again. Dr. Morris stepped back again as Bosco calmed.  
  
"I'm sorry, Bos. Sorry I wasn't there for you again," Faith said quietly. She felt his arm moving again. She looked down at his hand as he moved his hand out of hers and put his index finger and thumb together to make the "ok" sign. Then his hand relaxed and he was asleep again. Faith rested her head on the bed again, her hand still on his and fell asleep.  
  
The nurse came to the doorway with more medication for Bosco's IV and stopped alongside Dr. Morris. "Everything settled?" she asked him quietly. The doctor and nurse had talked about this many times.  
  
"Seems that way. Let her stay with him until she wakes up again," he said to Nurse Morris, taking another look at the monitor before walking back toward the desk. The nurse walked into the room and put the medication into Bosco's IV. Before she left, she took a blanket from the closet and draped it over Faith's shoulders.  
  
Dr. Morris walked back to the nurse's desk and looked to the waiting room to Trisha. She looked back at him and he nodded his head that everything was alright and she smiled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	40. Chapter 40

Revenge  
  
Chapter 40  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He heard it from far away first. Then it grew louder. He could hear her calling to him, but he couldn't get out from under the darkness. He tried to raise his hands and push the darkness from him, but he didn't seem to have the strength.  
  
"Faith," he tried to call out to her so she knew he heard her. "Faith!" he tried again. He tried to run, but his legs felt like dead weight. He tried so hard to figure out where he was. He heard her calling to him, but he couldn't find her.  
  
"Bosco!" he heard her call again. She was crying and his heart began racing. He didn't like it when she was upset. It was probably his fault again. The more he tried, the more he upset her.  
  
He fought against the darkness and he finally felt it start to lift. He felt his heart racing and then he felt pain - all over pain. He tried again to open his eyes and he managed to open them for a split second. He still couldn't see her, but he could hear her. He felt her hands on his arm. "What is she saying?" he thought to himself as he listened harder, hearing the pain in her voice and knowing from the sound that she was still crying.  
  
He tried to call to her again, but something was preventing him. He felt something in his throat. He tried to swallow, but he couldn't. He fought harder to try to wake up, then he started remembering things that led up to where he was now.  
  
The last thing he could remember was Faith finding him in that house. He remembered Peterson raising the gun again, this time aiming it at the boy. "What was his name? Lucas, that's it," he recalled. He had to do something. He used all his remaining strength and threw himself in front of the boy. He felt the white hot of the bullet tearing into his right shoulder and the difficulty breathing he had right after that. Then he heard Faith in the room with him, but he couldn't wake up. He heard Kim and Carlos, felt himself being moved. He felt Kim trying to check him and see what he needed. Then he heard Peterson tell her to leave him alone - just get the boy and get out. "I hope Lucas is okay," he thought again. Then he heard Kim's voice in his ear telling him that Faith was there and to hold on.  
  
He couldn't really remember anything after that, except for the smoke and the smell of the fire. He'd done it again - gotten Faith into trouble. "God, it's so hard to breathe," he thought to himself as he remembered it getting harder and harder to breathe. Everything was still and silent and then he felt it - Faith breathing for him. He heard her telling him to hold on - heard her choking on the smoke herself. "Get yourself out, Faith. Get out," he willed her. She wouldn't leave though. He heard her yelling to someone - "In here! We're in here. Hurry, he's not breathing!" Then he heard another voice, but he couldn't place it - "We're coming. Hold on. Jimmy and D.K. are coming!" came the reply. That was all he remembered until he was in the hospital, in the E.R. He heard Trisha and Faith and his mother and brother - all telling him to hold on.   
  
And now, here he was. He could feel the wetness of Faith's tears on his arm and he fought to let her know that he was okay - that he'd be okay. He heard her telling him that there was a tube in his throat to help him breathe for now. Finally, he was able to tell her with his hand that he was okay and she seemed better. He felt her relax a little and then felt her head back against his arm and he heard the rhythm of her breathing - she was asleep and he fell asleep again too.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
A few hours had passed and Faith woke with a start. She looked around and saw that she was still in Bosco's room. She was stiff from the position she'd been sleeping in and the aches from all she'd been through. After checking to see that Bosco was still asleep, she looked across the bed and saw Trisha sitting in the chair just watching Bosco.   
  
"I thought about waking you up, but you seemed so peaceful and I figured you needed it," Trisha said to her quietly.  
  
"Thanks," Faith told her. "How long?"  
  
"Mmmm, a couple of hours. Sully and Ty stopped by to see how you and Bosco were doing. The Lieutenant was here too. He'll be back later this morning," Trisha said, taking a sip of the tea that Rose had brought to her.  
  
"I should go so Rose and Mikey can come in," Faith said, standing up. She knew that there was only supposed to be one person in the ICU with a patient at a time. She didn't want to prevent his family from coming in.  
  
"They've been very lenient. As long as we were quiet. Rose, Mikey and I took turns. Rose and Mikey went home to change and bring some things for Maurice in case he wanted them later," she said.  
  
"What time is it?" Faith asked, finally realizing that it was daylight coming through the window.  
  
Trisha looked at her watch and then back to Bosco. "It's about 7:30."  
  
"Did he wake up at all?" Faith asked, looking at her partner.  
  
"No. The doctor said he woke up while you were talking to him before, but just for a second. He's just so worn out and the pain medication keeps him pretty out of it too," she explained.  
  
"Well, I'm gonna go back to my room. Fred and the kids should be here soon. Once they discharge me, I'll come back up to the waiting room. Will you let me know when he wakes up?" Faith asked her.  
  
"Sure," she said.   
  
"I'll be back later, Bos," Faith told him before walking out. She ran into Dr. Morris on her way out. He was coming in to check again before he left for the day. He'd be back again tonight.  
  
"Your nurse called up here looking for you. I told her we'd keep an eye on you while you were here," Dr. Morris said with a smile. "How're you feeling this morning?"  
  
"Ummm, pretty sore. But better," Faith said. "Thanks."  
  
"Good. Everything okay between you guys?" he said, referring to her conversation with Bosco before.  
  
"Yeah. Thanks for that," she said.  
  
"You're welcome. He's gonna go for another chest x-ray of his lungs and then maybe we'll be able to take out that breathing tube and lighten the sedation a little. Maybe sometime this afternoon, you'll actually be able to talk to him," Dr. Morris told her.  
  
"Good. I'll be back, definitely," Faith said, heading back down the stairs to her room.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
Faith was in her hospital room for about a half hour when Fred, Emily and Charlie came in. The kids ran over to her and threw their arms around her.  
  
"Mom! Are you okay?" Charlie asked her.  
  
"Yeah, guys. I'm fine. Just a little smoke, but it's better now," she told them all. Fred held up an overnight bag to her.  
  
"Ready to get dressed and get out of here?" he asked her.  
  
"Thanks. I can't wait to get into my own clothes. Boy, I missed you guys," she said standing up and going into the bathroom to get dressed.  
  
"We brought you a bagel and some coffee too," Emily called into her and Faith realized how hungry she was suddenly.  
  
"Thanks, Em," she called out to her. She emerged a moment later in her own clothes and Fred noticed how tired she still looked. There was a haunted look to her eyes.  
  
"Hey, kids. Why don't you go ask the nurse if there's any juice for your Mom. A little Vitamin C wouldn't hurt," Fred told the kids. Emily knew that he had just wanted to talk in private for a moment, so she took Charlie with her out into the hallway.  
  
"I called around 7:00 and the nurse said you weren't in your room. She said you spent the night up in ICU," he told her. She just nodded.  
  
"So, how's he doing?" he asked.  
  
"He's okay. He's gonna be okay the doctor said. He's still got the breathing tube in, but they'll probably take that out today if his chest x-ray looks good. I'm sorry I wasn't here when you called," she said, her eyes filling with tears. Fred immediately went to her and held her.  
  
"You okay?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," she said, feeling silly to be crying again. "I just..., I was really scared in there, Fred. I thought I'd never see you and the kids again. Then, Bosco stopped breathing and the smoke and fire got worse. I just thought...," she said, trailing off.  
  
"Well, you're okay. And Bosco's gonna be okay. I guess we owe Doherty and D.K. a big thanks, huh," he said as he gave Faith time to regain her composure.  
  
"Yeah, and Kim," she said, explaining what Kim had done.  
  
The kids returned with the nurse and juice. A doctor came in right after to check her out quickly before discharging her. Fred and the kids waited in the hallway while the doctor checked her out.  
  
"Is Mom okay?" Emily asked while Charlie was across the hall looking out the window.  
  
"Yeah, Em. Mom's fine," Fred told her.  
  
"She was crying when we came back in. Is Uncle Bosco okay?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah. He's gonna be okay. It's just gonna take a little while. Mom's just been through a lot. That's all. But, she's fine," Fred assured her.  
  
"Can we go up and see Uncle Bosco?" Emily asked.  
  
"I don't know. We'll have to wait and see. Maybe not today, but as soon as we can, I'll bring you guys back, okay?" Fred promised.  
  
"Okay," Emily said as Faith came out into the hallway, discharge papers in hand. "I'm sprung," she said happily as Charlie and Emily went over and put their arms around her again.  
  
"Dad's gonna take you guys home. I have to go down to the House and give a statement. I'll be home in a little bit," she told her family.  
  
"You want me to go with you?" Fred asked her.   
  
"No. You can drop me off on the way and then I'll get a ride home from one of the sector cars when I'm done. You look like you could use some sleep too," she told him noticing the fatigue in his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, well I gotta go to work. Deke covered for me at work for the last couple of days, but I gotta go in today. I'll drop the kids off to school on the way and see you after I get home from work. Go home after you give your statement, Faith. You need to get some rest too," he told her.  
  
"I will," she lied, knowing she'd be right back here after she'd given her statement. At least until she knew Bosco was definitely out of trouble.  
  
"Uh huh," Fred said as they left for the elevators, knowing exactly where she'd be. "But you'll be back home when they get home from school, right?"   
  
"Yes, Fred," she said smiling. "I will."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	41. Chapter 41

Revenge  
  
Chapter 41  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Trisha, Rose and Michael Boscorelli were seated in the waiting room awaiting Dr. Morris' to return from radiology. A moment later he came in and Rose tried to gauge the look on his face as he sat down across from them, flipping through the medical chart.  
  
He closed the chart and looked up at them with a smile. "Okay, so we got the chest films and they look great. We've gradually weaned him down on the ventilator and the sedation since very early this morning to see how he reacts. He's responded well with no sign of re-collapse of the lungs. I think we can take him off the ventilator and stop the sedation with good results. Any questions?" he asked, finishing.  
  
"I don't think so...," Rose said, and then thought of something. "Um, he'll be awake when you take him off the tube? Will it hurt him?" Rose asked.  
  
"He's still sedated somewhat. He's awake enough right now to hear us, so we'll tell him what's happening while we're doing it. Besides, it's better if he's awake so he can help with the tube coming out - breathing out at the right time, etcetera," he assured her.  
  
"Can I be with him - that is, if it's okay with you?" Trisha asked, looking over at Rose as the doctor stood up.  
  
"I don't see why not. In fact, you can both be in with him for a few moments. He'd probably like to see familiar faces when he starts waking up," Dr. Morris told them. "I'll go get things set up," he said, turning to go toward Bosco's room.  
  
"Thank you, Doctor," Trisha said, shaking his hand.  
  
"I'm gonna go call Dad and let him know how he's doing," Mikey said, getting a glare from his mother.  
  
"What? He's been calling me to see how Mo's doing," he said defensively, walking down the hallway.  
  
Trisha and Rose looked at each other and finally Rose said, "Well, shall we go wake our boy up?"  
  
"I think he's slept long enough," Trisha replied and the two women walked toward Bosco's room.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Yokas," Lieutenant Swersky called to her as she walked in through the front door.  
  
"Hey, Lieu," she said, noticing the stares she was receiving from her co-workers. She walked toward the Lieutenant when suddenly she was in the middle of loud applause. Everyone was looking at her and congratulating her on a 'job well done' in rescuing the boy and Bosco, keeping him alive until the firefighters could get them both out.  
  
Faith blushed and said 'thank you' quietly. The Lieutenant ushered her into one of the offices in the hallway where they could talk privately. "So, how are you doing?" he asked her.  
  
"Me? I'm fine, Lieu. No problems," Faith said.  
  
"Good. You have two more days off and then we expect you back here ready to work," he told her.  
  
"Yes, Sir," she answered.   
  
"So, how's Bosco doing today?" he asked as the Captain came into the room.  
  
Faith straightened up and saluted the Captain. "Sir."  
  
"Relax, Faith. I just wanted to see how you were doing and to say that you did a great job. I've personally put the commendation papers in for you," the Captain told her.  
  
"Well, thank you, Sir. But, I was just doing what any one of us would have done," she said, trying to diminish her role. "After all, it wouldn't have been as bad as it was had she found him sooner," she thought to herself.  
  
"Well, before we get started on the paperwork, there's someone here who'd like to talk to you," the Captain said. Faith looked at Lieutenant Swersky who was just as confused as Faith. The Captain opened the door and told whoever was standing in the hallway to come in. He stepped aside as the parents of Lucas walked into the room.  
  
"Officer," started his father. "We just wanted to stop by and thank you for all you and your partner did for Lucas. I really don't know what we would've done if Lucas..., well, you know," he said, reaching over and shaking Faith's hand.  
  
"You're welcome, Sir, but you should know that I didn't really have a lot to do with saving your son. That was all my partner, Officer Boscorelli. I don't have all the particulars because we haven't been able to talk to him yet, but he's the one you should be thanking," she told the couple.  
  
"Well, we weren't able to see Officer Boscorelli yet. Only family is allowed. But, we HAVE talked to our son, as did your superiors, and he told us all of what Officer Boscorelli did for him and we're extremely grateful," Lucas' mother told her and then proceeded to tell Faith about what happened in that house during those hours. Faith knew that Bosco would have put his life on the line to protect that kid, but now everyone else would know it too.  
  
"How is your son? Bosco will want to know as soon as he wakes up," Faith inquired.  
  
"He's okay. He had surgery to put a pin in his leg, but according to the doctors, the break shouldn't affect the growth of the leg and he should make a complete recovery. And I don't think we'll have to worry about him going off exploring on his own anymore," finished his mother with relief.  
  
"Thank you, Ma'am, for letting me know everything and I'm glad Lucas is doing better. I'm sure that Bosco would like to see him when they're both feeling up to it," Faith said. "After all, if Lucas hadn't wandered in there, you wouldn't have called the police and who knows when we would've found Bosco." Lt. Swersky noticed a look of guilt cross Faith's face and then it was gone. He made a note to himself to explore that further later on.  
  
"Lucas would love to see him again and thank him in person for saving his life," Lucas' father agreed.  
  
"Well, we should be heading over to the hospital," they said, again shaking hands with all three officers. "Please send our best to Officer Boscorelli."  
  
"I will. And, thank you. And send Bosco's best wishes to Lucas as well," Faith said.  
  
The couple left the room with the Captain, leaving Faith and Swersky alone. "You would've found him, Faith. You know that right?"  
  
"I don't know, Sir. I don't know if I would have found him in time. You saw that fire. What if Peterson had lit that fire before we knew where he was. It would have been all over - everyone thought that house was abandoned," Faith reasoned.  
  
Swersky thought for a moment, then said, "Well, I guess you should get started on that report so you can get home and get some rest."  
  
"Yeah. I want to get back over to the hospital. They're probably going to take him off the ventilator today and I want to be there to see how he does," she agreed, heading off toward the Detectives Office to answer their questions.  
  
*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
"Okay, ready?" Dr. Morris said to the nurse that was assisting him. She nodded and he looked over at Trisha and Rose. "Now, he'll probably do a lot of coughing and gasping at first. That's normal, so don't be frightened by it. If there's any sign that he needs to stay on the ventilator, I'll put it right back in, okay?"  
  
"Okay," they both answered, holding each other's hand. The doctor and nurse went about the task of removing the tube as they talked to Bosco the whole time.  
  
"Okay, we're going to start taking this tube out, Officer. All you need to do is relax and tried to breathe out as we're pulling the tube out," Dr. Morris said. Bosco opened his eyes at the sound of the doctor's voice and did as he was told.  
  
Before anyone knew it, the tube was out. Bosco did some gagging and coughing, but the nurse was there with an oxygen mask to put up to his face and had a hand rubbing his shoulder to try to calm him and reassure him. The alarms on the monitors began to ring as his body took over and tried to regulate his breathing. After a moment, the alarms subsided and Bosco was breathing on his own, although he seemed to be out of breath.  
  
The doctor listened to his chest as the nurse checked his IVs and cardiac monitor leads. The effort seemed to take a toll on Bosco and he again appeared to be sleeping, but his breathing began to be less labored.  
  
The doctor turned toward Rose and Trisha, "Well, Mom? You want to see your son?" he asked, stepping aside.  
  
Bosco must've heard that his mother was there, because he opened his eyes and looked for her, finding her standing next to Trisha, tears falling down her cheeks.  
  
"Ma," he mouthed to her unable to make any sound yet. He held his hand out to her and looked at Trisha as Rose took hold of his hand and leaned in to hug him.  
  
"Maurice," she said through her tears. "You scared the hell out of me again." Bosco chuckled, but the pain in his ribs made him stop.  
  
"I'm okay," he whispered to her. He looked past her and said, "Hey," to Trisha who seemed frozen in the corner.  
  
"It's okay. C'mere," he said, holding his hand out to her. Rose stood aside to let her come to him, but she didn't move right away.  
  
"Trisha?" Rose said, seeing how she was shaking. The nurse sensed her hesitance and thought that maybe a chore would help her get moving.  
  
"Why don't you bring this over to him. His throat is very dry and this should help him," she said, holding a glass of cool water with a straw. Trisha took the drink and then looked back at Bosco.  
  
"C'mere," he whispered again and she moved slowly toward him. She took about two steps and tears started to fall from her eyes as well. She reached him and he took hold of her hand. "I'm okay," he assured her, pulling her hand to his lips and giving her a kiss.  
  
She held the glass for him, putting the straw to his mouth. "Here," she said, trying not to break down totally. He took a swallow of the cool, soothing liquid.  
  
"Thanks," he said, his voice a tiny bit better. He pulled her toward him and she leaned over and kissed him. She never thought she'd feel his lips on hers again.   
  
"Okay," Dr. Morris said finally. "Let's let him get some rest, shall we?" The nurse finished checking Bosco over and got her things and left with Dr. Morris.  
  
"Trisha, you stay with him for now. I'm gonna go tell Mikey how he's doing," Rose said. "I'll be back in a little bit," she told Bosco and he gave her a wink.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	42. Chapter 42

Revenge  
  
Chapter 42  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Trisha sat in the chair alongside Bosco and just watched him sleep. Slowly, the tears started to roll down her cheeks again. She had such an ache in her heart as she watched him. She hadn't planned on falling in love with him. But, she couldn't help it - it was too strong. He was so confident and strong. There never seemed to be a question about what he wanted out of life and as they slowly got to know each other, she found out that everything he wanted was everything she wanted as well.  
  
She thought back to the years leading up to now. The years after she'd lost her parents in a horrible accident - one in which she escaped without injury. She remembered the silence right after the accident. She was ten years old. It was dark and cold and the only noise was the occasional groan from her mother or father. And then, all too soon, there wasn't even that noise. She remembered shivering from the cold and then the sound of the rain as it hit the roof of the car. She stayed where she was, afraid to go out into the darkness on her own. Finally, she saw headlights approaching. The approaching car slowed and then stopped, the headlights illuminating the car. She saw for the first time her parents in the front seat. They looked like they were sleeping and she called to them to wake up. She saw a shadow move in front of the headlights, but was unable to make out who it was through the shattered glass of the windshield. She remembered the voice of her 22-year-old stepbrother on the outside of the car. "Trisha? Can you hear me?" he asked, looking at his father and stepmother and feeling for a pulse. Finding none, he concentrated on his stepsister who was sitting in the back seat in silence, eyes wide with fear. She remembered him opening the back door of the car and gently taking her out of the car. She remembered him putting her in the back of his own car just as the police car pulled up. She watched as he talked with the officers and then came over to the car, got in and drove her home, explaining that he was coming home from work and saw the accident. He told her in later years about how her stepfather was a heavy drinker - that he was drunk when he'd crashed the car, killing himself and her mother. He took care of her all those years, making sure she had everything she needed or wanted. Now, he was gone.  
  
She was interrupted from her thoughts by a soft knock on the door. She quickly wiped her tears away and looked up to see Faith standing in the doorway, concern on her face.  
  
"Trisha? You okay?" Faith asked, stepping into the room.  
  
Taking another swipe at her tear-stained cheeks, she just looked embarrassed and said, "Yeah. I'm just glad he's okay."  
  
"Yeah. That makes two of us. So, I see they took out his breathing tube," she said quietly so she didn't wake him up.   
  
"Yeah. He did great. He's sleeping now. The pain medication and everything..." she said, trailing off and Faith nodded.  
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't get back here until now. By the time the detectives got done asking me questions, I had to go get the kids from school and then wait until Fred got home from work before I could get back over here," Faith noted.  
  
  
  
"His color looks better," Faith said, trying to fill the awkward silence.  
  
"Um, look. I'm gonna go freshen up a little bit. Will you stay with him in case he wakes up?" Trisha asked her.  
  
"Sure," Faith said. "I can stay all night if you want. You look like you could use some real sleep in a real bed. I'll call if anything changes, but the doctor said that he's gonna be fine," she offered.  
  
Trisha looked down at her wrinkled clothes. "Well, I COULD use a shower and some fresh clothes," she said, looking up at Faith.  
  
"Go. Take a shower, get some sleep. I'll stay here with him," she encouraged her. "You've been here since they brought him in."  
  
"Okay," she said, looking back over to Bosco. "Tell him I'll be back as soon as I can. I'll bring some of his things back with me," she said, turning quickly to walk toward the door. She stopped suddenly, as the room began to spin and Faith noticed that she went pale.  
  
"Trisha, you okay?" Faith asked stepping toward her and putting a hand on her elbow to steady her.  
  
After the nausea passed, she looked back at Faith. "Yeah. I guess I'm more wiped out than I thought. I just turned too fast. I'll be fine after a shower and something to eat."  
  
"I'll walk you down and wait with you for a taxi," Faith offered.  
  
"No. I'm fine. I don't want Maurice alone," she said, her color returning and she put a smile on her face.  
  
"Okay. Get some rest. Don't worry. I'll be right here," Faith said as Trisha walked out into the hallway.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Trisha walked down the hallway to the elevators. She went downstairs and hailed a cab. After she'd gotten home, she threw her things on the couch and went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea and then went to run a hot bath.  
  
While the tub was filling, she went to the phone and called information.  
  
"What city, please?" came the operator's voice.  
  
"Um. New York City, Manhattan, please," Trisha said into the phone.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am. What number are you looking for?" the operator asked.  
  
"I need the number for the morgue, please," Trisha inquired, tears forming again.  
  
"One moment," the operator responded and then she heard a computer-generated voice speak the number and then repeat it. She wrote the number down on the paper by the phone and hung up. She walked back down the hallway and turned off the water. After getting undressed, she settled into the tub with her cup of tea and leaned back against the side, eyes closed as the warmth of the water relaxed all the tightness in her body.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Bosco slept soundly for the next twenty minutes while Faith sat in the room, alternating between looking at him and reading an old magazine. She looked up at him and noticed again the bruises across his chest, side and torso. A nurse had come in to change his IV bag and check his vital signs silently.  
  
Faith was again flipping through the magazine, when she heard Bosco take in a deep breath through his nose. "Faith?" he said, opening his eyes and turning his head toward her.  
  
"Yeah, Bos. I'm right here," she answered, putting the magazine down and standing up closer to the bed. "How'd you know it was me?" she asked.  
  
"Your perfume. Every day for the last nine years," he said, chuckling slightly and then grimacing from the pain it caused.  
  
"Easy," Faith told him, putting a hand on his arm. "Sorry I'm such a creature of habit."  
  
"No. I like it. I always know you're there, even when I can't see you in the dark when we're chasing some jagoff," he said. "You okay?" he asked, remembering that she'd been hospitalized from the smoke.  
  
"Never better. I'm just glad you're doing better. Despite how you look," she said.  
  
"Yeah, well I'm feeling a lot better too now that they took that damned tube out of my throat," he complained.  
  
"Yeah, well, that damned tube was keeping you alive," she reminded him.  
  
"No. You kept me alive," he said, looking her in the eye and taking her hand. "Thanks, Faith. I knew you'd find me."  
  
"Bos. I'm just sorry it took so long. That you had to go through all this," she said, tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"Hey. Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Isn't that what they say?" Bosco told her. "So, where's Trish?" he asked looking around the room.  
  
"I sent her home for some much needed rest and food. She was really wiped out. She'll be back later. I'm on babysitting duty," Faith joked with him.  
  
"Very funny. You don't have to stay. You look like you could use some rest too," he told her.  
  
"Thanks. I just had a shower, meal and a nap before I came over. It didn't help, huh?" she said, pretending to be offended as she tucked her hair behind her ear.  
  
No, I..." he started, but Faith cut him off.  
  
"It's okay, Bos. I know. But, I'm staying," she told him.  
  
"Where's my Ma? And Mikey?" he asked.  
  
"Your Mom went to check on things at the bar and Mikey had to go to work. He's missed the last four days from work and he was afraid he'd lose his job. He didn't want to disappoint you," she told him.  
  
Bosco smiled. "He really is on the right track finally."  
  
"Yeah, thanks to you not giving up on him," Faith reminded him. Suddenly, there was another tap on the door and they both looked over to see Chief Hancock, Captain Anderson and Lieutenant Swersky.  
  
Faith straightened. "Sirs," she said.  
  
"Faith, Boscorelli," Swersky acknowledged.   
  
"How are you feeling, Officer?" asked Chief Hancock.  
  
"Better, Sir," he answered. Bosco nodded to acknowledge both the Captain and Lieutenant as well.  
  
"Good," Swersky answered. "Faith, would you mind stepping outside for a moment. We have something to discuss with Officer Boscorelli."  
  
"Uh, sure, Sir. I'll be right outside, Bos," Faith said, stepping away from the bedside.  
  
"She can stay, Sirs," Bosco said. "She's my partner. There's no secrets."  
  
"Very well, Officers. This will just take care of both at once. We were going to talk to you next Officer Yokas," Hancock said, reaching into his breast pocket to retrieve two objects. "Officer Boscorelli, in light of all that's happened and your heroic efforts in protecting the young boy that was in that house with you. Officer Yokas, in light of all your efforts and going above and beyond the call of duty in putting your own life at risk, the Department has made the decision to award both of you your Detectives badges. "Congratulations, Detectives Boscorelli and Yokas," Hancock said, handing each of them their gold shields and shaking their hands.  
  
Both officers were speechless for a moment and then looked at each other. "Thank you, Sir," they both responded at the same time.  
  
"You've earned them," Hancock told them both. "Well, I have a meeting downtown so I'll be taking off. Congratulations again and get well soon, Detective."  
  
"Thank you, Sir," Bosco said as Hancock walked out of the room.  
  
"I never thought I'd see THIS day," Captain Anderson said with a smile as he looked at Bosco.  
  
"God help the detectives office," Swersky said, laughing.  
  
"Well, we'll let you rest now," the Captain replied. "Congratulations again you two. Oh, and the formal promotion ceremony will be next week. Boscorelli, if you're not up to attending, we'll hold another for you. Call us if you need anything."  
  
"I'll wait for Bosco, if that's okay?" Faith asked, hoping that would be all right. She didn't really want to get the promotion without him being there and she wanted to see him get his promotion also.  
  
"So be it," Captain Anderson answered.  
  
"Thanks, Captain, Lieutenant," Faith and Bosco said as they watched the two superior officers walk out, the door closing behind them.  
  
"Can you believe this?" Bosco asked, a smile on his face.  
  
"No. I can't," Faith said. "Fred's gonna freak out," she said, reaching into her purse to get her cell phone.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Trisha had finished her hot soak in the tub and walked out into the living room, wrapped in her robe and slippers. She walked into the kitchen and looked in the refrigerator for something to eat. She pulled out the ham and cheese to make herself a sandwich. Setting the items on the counter, she glanced down and saw the pad of paper with the phone number written on it.  
  
Deciding it wasn't going to get any easier, she picked up the phone and dialed the number.  
  
"Manhattan Morgue," came the cold voice on the other end.  
  
"Um. Yes, I was just wondering how I'd go about anonymously taking care of burial expenses for someone that has no family?" Trisha asked as she reached over to grab a piece of cheese only to be hit with another wave of nausea.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	43. Chapter 43

Revenge  
  
Chapter 43  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Yes, Ma'am. How can I help you?" came the voice from the morgue. She had been transferred from the main switchboard to one of the technicians.  
  
"Well, an old neighbor of mine died. I know he doesn't have any living family and even though he was accused of doing some horrible things, he was always nice to me. I just wanted to make sure he had a decent burial. You know, not just stuck in some unmarked grave," Trisha explained.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am. And, you think this person's body was brought here?" the man asked.  
  
"Um, yes. I think so," she answered tentatively.  
  
"Okay. What the decedent's name?"  
  
"Peterson. Paul Richard Peterson," Trisha answered, a catch in her voice.  
  
"Okay, let me see," the technician said as he flipped through some papers. "Here it is. Yes, he was brought here. But, I'm afraid they haven't released his body yet," he told her.  
  
"Released him? What does that mean exactly," she asked, somewhat miffed that she was unable to get his remains right away.  
  
"Well, sometimes in..., uh..., cases like this, they need to hold everything as evidence until they sort through everything. I could call you just as soon as they release him, if you'd like," offered the technician.  
  
"Well, the man's dead. I don't know what other information they could possibly get out of him," Trisha said angrily.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ma'am," the technician apologized. "I'm just following procedures."  
  
"Yes, I know you are. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just..., well. Yes, why don't you give me a call when he's released," she said finally.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am. I'll call you right away. Your name, Ma'am?" he asked her.  
  
Trisha froze momentarily, not knowing what name to give him. "Ma'am?" asked the technician, not sure if the caller was still there.  
  
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "My name is Linda Watkins. And, you can reach me at 555-7677."  
  
"Okay, Ms. Watkins. Let me just make sure. It's 555-7677, right?" the technician repeated back to her.  
  
"Yes, that's it. And thank you for your help," she said.  
  
"You're welcome. I'll call you as soon as he's released. And, I'm sorry for your loss, Ms. Watkins," the technician said sincerely,  
  
Trisha hung up the phone, not sure of what to do next. She suddenly realized how exhausted she was. It took all her effort to get up off the kitchen chair to put the food back into the refrigerator. As she walked past the phone, she jumped when it rang again.  
  
She picked up the phone fearing that it was bad news about Maurice. "Hello?" she said into the phone.  
  
"Hey. It's me," came Maurice's voice over the phone.  
  
"Maurice. You're awake," she said smiling, relieved that it wasn't more bad news. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm good. Getting better every minute. How are you doing? Faith said you almost passed out before?" he asked, concern in his voice.  
  
"No, no. I'm fine. I was just tired and hungry and I got up too fast. I'm fine, really," she assured him, trying to stifle a yawn.  
  
"Trish. Look, I want you to stay home and get a decent night's sleep tonight. Faith said you've been here since I got here. I'll feel better if I know you're taking care of yourself. Besides, I hear you got up close and personal with my family. That's enough to knock anyone for a loop," he joked.  
  
"Don't put down your family. Family's very important. You never know when you aren't going to have any family around anymore," she said, a cross tone in her voice.  
  
"I'm sorry. I just know that my Ma can be pretty overbearing at times. Anyway, I just want you to stay home and rest. You can come back first thing in the morning if you want. Promise me?" he urged her.  
  
He did sound a lot better since he'd gotten some rest and they discontinued the sedation. "I don't know, Maurice. I'm worried about you."  
  
"Don't be. I've got guys coming and going all hours. Every time the medics bring someone in or the guys from the House have to bring someone in. There's always someone here so don't worry. Please. I'll really relax more if I know you're home and safe - not out on the streets in the middle of the night," he assured her.  
  
"Well... Okay. But, you'll have someone call me if you need anything or whatever?" she told him.  
  
"I promise," he said.  
  
"Alright. I'll see you first thing in the morning. You want me to bring anything special?" she asked him.  
  
"Just you," he said. "Oh and some decent coffee. This stuff sucks," he said and smiled when he heard her laugh.   
  
"Okay, okay. Mr. Coffee-Aholic! I'll brew you some of the kind you like here and bring it with me," she laughed, remembering how he loved coffee.  
  
"Thanks. Sleep well. I love you," he told her.  
  
"I love you too, Maurice. Get some rest," she said before hanging up the phone.  
  
She hung up the phone and walked down the hallway, turning the lights off as she went. She climbed into bed and before her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"She's staying home," Bosco told Faith as he hung up the phone. "You think she's okay?"  
  
"She's probably right - just really tired. She'll feel better after a good night's sleep," Faith told him.  
  
Bosco nodded in agreement. "So, have you heard how that kid - Lucas - is doing?" he asked. He'd been afraid to ask. Afraid that he wasn't able to save the kid despite trying to block him from being hit by a bullet. No one was saying anything about him, so he thought that everyone was trying to shield him from it.  
  
"He's good. Probably going home tomorrow. They put a pin in his leg for the break. They think he'll be good as new when he's all healed, Bos," Faith answered him.  
  
"Good," Bosco said, remembering back to it. He was starting to get uncomfortable and wondered if it was time for some more pain medicine.  
  
"So, his parents came into the House. They weren't able to see you because you were still pretty bad. They wanted to thank you for all you did. I told them I'd relay their thanks to youl," Faith said as Bosco yawned.  
  
"Well, why don't you get some rest. You must still be pretty wiped out," she sais.  
  
"Yeah, I am kind of tired. Look, you go home. I'm fine and I'll feel better if I know you're taking care of yourself," Bosco told her as the nurse came in to give him some more pain medication.  
  
"I don't know. I promised Trisha I'd be here," she told him.  
  
"Yeah, well, I'm telling you that I want you to go home. Please. I won't be able to sleep if I know you're sitting around staring at me," he said jokingly.  
  
"If you're sure," Faith said. "I would like to be there for the kids when they wake up in the morning."  
  
"Good. Go," he ordered her.  
  
"Hey, we're both the same rank, Detective, so don't go trying to order me around," she said, gathering her things.  
  
"What, you think I have a death wish?" he teased back. "Goodnight. Spend some time with your family, Faith," he told her, thinking back to Trisha's bizarre reaction when he had joked about her meeting his family.  
  
"Goodnight," she said and walked into the hallway.  
  
Bosco was asleep before the door to the room closed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	44. Chapter 44

Revenge  
  
Chapter 44  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Faith walked in the door to a quiet apartment. She was disappointed that Fred wasn't up, but then realized how late it was and forgave him. He'd been worried to death about her and this was the first night he could get a decent night's sleep - he knew she was safe from that psycho, Peterson, and knew that she wasn't working.  
  
She quietly laid her keys on the table by the door and, leaving her light jacket on, walked into the room. She had to admit that it felt good to be home, safe and sound. She stood in the middle of the living room, just listening to the sounds of the apartment - the clock ticking, the hum of the VCR because Charlie must be taping some show that Fred wouldn't let him stay up late for, the hum of the refrigerator. She bent over and grabbed the TV remote, turning on the television to see what he was taping - some stupid wrestling show. She smiled and turned the TV off, putting the remote back on the table. She walked into the kitchen and got a glass of cold water.  
  
Faith put down the empty glass and leaned against the counter, hands in her jacket pockets, looking at the refrigerator - the cornerstone of every busy household's calendar. She looked over the schedule for Charlie's soccer games and smiled that she'd actually be able to see both games this week because they fell on her days off. She saw that Emily had an exam coming up - English. She'd ace that, but knowing Emily, she'd stress over it nonetheless. She heard Charlie mumble something from down the hall - he was always talking in his sleep. Emily was always complaining about not having her own room.  
  
Her hand brushed against an item in her pocket and she pulled out the contents. She thought back to all that had happened, and what had almost happened, in the process of her getting awarded her Detective's shield. She ran her thumb over the shiny gold, thinking about how proud Bosco was about getting the promotion. She smiled and was startled by the sound of someone behind her. She turned to see Fred standing on the other side of the counter, smiling at her.  
  
"You okay?" he asked her.  
  
"Yeah," she said simply. "You know, maybe with my raise in pay you can take those classes you wanted to take for some of the those promotions at work. Then, who knows, maybe this time next year, we can get a house out on the Island," she said, repeating word-for-word his hopes the night before her Sergeant's exam fiasco.  
  
"You've got this all figured out," he said, using her response.  
  
"How's the kids?" she asked as she put her new badge on the counter and walked around to Fred.  
  
"Good. Emily was up late studying for some English test. That kid gets way too uptight about this stuff," Fred said, and Faith laughed softly. Fred moved in closer, wrapping his arms around Faith. "So, Detective Yokas. Care to show me your interrogation techniques?"  
  
"Oooh. You are a bad boy, Mr. Yokas," Faith said, turning into and kissing him.  
  
"Let me show you," Fred said as the two walked down the hallway.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^**^*^**  
  
Bosco slept soundly, but was awakened by the feeling of someone else in the room. He was used to the nurses and doctors coming in and out, but this felt like a stranger. He opened his eyes, looking toward the doorway. Just inside the door, was a young boy in a wheelchair, his leg extended in front of him, in a cast, propped on the support of the chair.  
  
"Hi," Bosco said, trying to sit himself up a little bit.   
  
"Hi," the boy answered, wheeling himself closer. "The nurse said it was okay to wait for you to wake up as long as I didn't wake you up."  
  
"No problem. What time is it?" he said, reaching for his watch on the nightstand. It was 8:00 a.m.  
  
"It's pretty late," Lucas said. "You must've been pretty tired."  
  
"Late? I don't usually get to sleep until around now," Bosco joked more to himself than Lucas, but getting a confused look.  
  
"So, how are you?" Bosco asked the boy, looking at the neon green fiberglass cast on his leg.  
  
"I'm going home today. How are you?" he asked Bosco, looking at the cuts and bruises not covered by his hospital gown.  
  
"I'm doing okay. I'll probably be in here for a day or so more. I'm glad you're doing okay. So, um, is it just your leg?" Bosco asked, not really sure if he'd been hit with a bullet or not.  
  
"No," Lucas answered, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt and revealing a clean, white gauze bandage that wrapped around his arm. "I got shot too," he said proudly.  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry," Bosco apologized.  
  
"It's not your fault," Lucas said, pausing as if he wasn't sure how to phrase his next comment as he rolled his wheelchair right up to the side of Bosco's bed. "I, uh, just wanted to thank you. You know, for protecting me like that."  
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you more. I don't remember much after I jumped on top of you. I guess I passed out," Bosco explained.  
  
"Well, you were hurt pretty bad. You were in and out of it most of that night. Are you going to be okay?" Lucas asked and for some unknown reason, he felt tears forming as he thought about the abuse that Bosco had withstood while Lucas and Tommy were there. He fought to hold them back, but one escaped down his cheek. "I thought you were dead. Why did that man do that to you?"  
  
"I'm not totally sure, Lucas. It had something to do with his family getting killed by a drunk driver a long time ago. He blamed the police," Bosco answered simply and quietly, without getting into any details. "I'm just glad that we're both going to be okay," he finished.  
  
"Oh, here you are," Lucas' mother said, as she walked tentatively into the room. She looked at Bosco, noticing how battered he looked and, after a moment, walked toward him. "Officer, I just want to thank you for what you did for Lucas. You are truly our hero," she said, extending her hand, which he took and shook.  
  
"Well, actually, I am the one that should be thanking Lucas. If not for him," Bosco said, looking at the boy, "you wouldn't have called the police to look for him and found me as well. So, I guess that really you're the hero, Lucas," he told him, reaching out to tousle his hair.  
  
Lucas blushed slightly with a smile on his face. "Well, Lucas. The doctor signed you out, so I guess we can head home. Your Dad went to get the car. Again, Officer Boscorelli, thank you. Please let us know if there's anything we can do for you and I hope you make a quick recovery," she said, shaking his hand again.  
  
"Thanks. Take care, Lucas," he said as the boy's mother wheeled him to the door. Lucas put his hands on the wheels to stop the chair and turned back to face Bosco.  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry about any scratches that my dog, Bailey, may have done to your car when she got into that old garage," Lucas told him and the woman saw the look on Bosco's face.  
  
"My car?" he asked with a sick feeling in his stomach and a nervous look on nis face.   
  
"Not to worry," Lucas' mother said quickly after seeing the look on Bosco's face. "My husband already looked at it. My brother-in-law has a body shop and the scratch will be taken care of. He said he can match the color perfectly. You won't even see where it got scratched at the bottom of the door," she explained quickly.  
  
Bosco hadn't even realized that his car was missing. He didn't remember that he'd been hit and knocked unconscious before he was dragged into his car and brought to Peterson's house.  
  
He nodded his head and finally said, "No problem. Thanks."  
  
"Goodbye, Officer," the woman said and then they were gone.  
  
Bosco reached for the remote and turned on the television. He noted the time in the corner of the screen and wondered where Trisha was. "She must've slept in," he though to himself and sat back watching the television.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	45. Chapter 45

Revenge  
  
Chapter 45  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Trisha sat at the front window of her apartment as the sun came up, spreading a bright light across her face. She held her cup of coffee in her hands, trying to warm up. For some reason, she just couldn't stay warm during the night. She also couldn't sleep. She dozed on and off for a couple of hours, but when frustration over that took hold, she threw off her covers and decided she would just get up. She puttered around her apartment a little, cleaning here and there - nothing too much.  
  
She was dusting off her bookshelf when she came across some old photo albums. Pulling the albums off the shelf, she spent the next couple of hours flipping through them. Now one of the books lay on the table in front of her. She looked down at it again and smiled at the two pages in front of her. It was at her high school graduation, the pictures taken by her best friend, Marcie, and she smiled at the faces looking back at her - her brother, his wife and her two nieces. On the other page was a blown-up picture of her with her brother. The look of pride in his eyes made her smile even more - despite the tears that rolled down her cheek. She glanced over at the other album and tentatively opened the front cover. The newspaper clipping of the accident scene was almost more than she could bear. He'd never been the same after that - he was cold, distant and living in his own little world. Jail had changed him too. Although, she had to admit that the only good thing to come from it all was that he'd stopped drinking. For years she'd begged him to stop, but he'd only wave her off and tell her that it was meant to be - in his genes. After all, look at what his father - her stepfather - had done. She flipped the page of the album and looked at the last picture she'd had of him. He looked totally different after the reconstructive surgery on his face from the accident. He hadn't been wearing his seatbelt and was thrown through the windshield. His doctors had asked for pictures of him before the accident so that they could try to put his face back together as close as possible to how he looked before, but he told them that he didn't want to be the man he was before. He wanted to start all over and that they should use their imagination. The only hint of the man he truly was showed in his eyes - the pain evident forever.  
  
///////////////////////////////  
  
She thought back to that terrible day. She'd come home from work and had flipped on her television just for some background noise when she heard the announcer saying..., "Police say Mr. Peterson was drunk when he slammed into the police cruiser that was involved in a pursuit, lights and siren on. The two vehicles careened together across the road and jumped the curb, sliding across the grass and coming to rest in the middle of the playground."  
  
Trisha had just finished getting a juice out of the refrigerator when she turned to see the horrible scene being shown on the television. Apparently, it was all just unfolding. The camera scanned the scene and closed in on the two crumpled cars. She saw the civilian vehicle and walked closer to her television set to get a better look. She watched as the medics and police officers moved about the scene frantically. The camera showed the ambulances pulling away and she heard the announcers voice again....  
  
"Once again, you are looking at live footage from a breaking news story. There has been a terrible accident involving two cars - one of them a police car - that slammed into a playground where several children were playing. Witnesses on the scene say that there were at least three people - two children and someone believed to be a parent or caretaker of the children - struck while on the playground. The two officers from the wrecked police car have been taken to the hospital with some injuries, as well as the driver of the other vehicle - a Mr. Paul Richard Peterson - who witnesses say appears to have suffered more serious injuries. We will update this story as details become available and hopefully have a full story for our 6:00 broadcast. We now return you to previously scheduled programming."  
  
Trisha remembered turning off the television and rushing out the door to go to her brother at the hospital. That was the last she'd seen of her real brother - all those years ago.  
  
///////////////////////////////////////////  
  
She was startled from her memories by the sound of the phone ringing. She jumped at the sound, almost dropping her coffee. She glanced at the clock and realized that it was almost 9:30 in the morning. She grabbed the phone.  
  
"Hello?" she said, the sadness of her memories in her voice.  
  
"Trisha? Hey, are you okay?" Bosco asked her from the other end.  
  
"Maurice? What's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked, suddenly realizing that she'd told him she'd be there first thing in the morning.  
  
"I'm fine. I was worried about you. I figured you'd be here by now. You okay? I mean after what Faith told me last night, I was afraid that...," he trailed off.  
  
"No, no. I'm fine. I just didn't get much sleep last night," she answered, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm just getting ready to go out the door. I'll be there as quick as I can. Did you get some rest last night? How're you feeling?"  
  
"I'm doing great. In fact, the doctor was in this morning and I may be able to go home tomorrow," he told her.  
  
"That soon?" she asked.  
  
"What? You don't want me to come home?" he asked her, fending hurt.  
  
"No, it's not that. I just know you and you won't rest properly at home and you shouldn't be staying by yourself. I'll bring you here so I can nurse you back to health," she told him.  
  
"Hmmm. My own, personal nurse. I kinda like the sound of that," he said to her. "Do I get sponge baths too?"  
  
"I'll have to see what we can arrange, Mr. Boscorelli. I guess it all depends on how you behave yourself," she teased back. "Look, if I'm going to get over there, I have to get moving," she said, laughing. She marveled at how just the sound of his voice and thought of spending time with him made her smile.  
  
"Okay. But, hurry. And don't forget my coffee, woman!" he ordered her.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Boscorelli. Anything you want, Mr. Boscorelli," she answered. "See you in a few," she said before hanging up.  
  
She quickly put on a pot of coffee and headed down the hall to grab a quick shower and get dressed, the photo albums left on the table. She ignored the sick feeling in her stomach and blamed her fatigue on her inability to sleep during the night. "I'll catch up when Maurice is home and on the mend," she told herself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	46. Chapter 46

Revenge  
  
Chapter 46  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Detective Yokas, see me after roll call," the Lieutenant told Faith as he finished up the briefing. She had elected to defer her reassignment to the Detectives Squad until Bosco returned to work so she remained in her patrol uniform. She still hadn't gotten used to her new title and Sully had to poke her in the arm to let her know that he was addressing her.  
  
"Oh, uh. Yes, Sir," she said to him and then he finished up the briefing and sent the patrol units our.  
  
"Congratulations, Faith," Sully and Ty told her, shaking her hand.  
  
"Thanks, guys. I still can't believe it," she said, somewhat embarrassed. She was still recovering from the round of applause she'd gotten when the Lieutenant announced it to the officers at the beginning of the briefing.  
  
"Well, you've both earned it," Sully told her. "Ready to hit the streets, Davis?"  
  
Faith wandered to the front of the room to find out what the Lieutenant wanted. "Lieu?" she said, letting him know that she was there as he was engrossed in the paperwork in front of him.  
  
"You're feeling okay?" he asked her.  
  
"Yes, Sir. Back to normal and ready to get to work," she answered and he nodded.   
  
"I got a call from the Detectives Office. They're looking for the arrest file for Peterson. Apparently, Records has it signed out to you?" he asked her.  
  
"Oh, yeah. I pulled all the arrests that Bosco made from the time he started out of the Academy. I was trying to search through them to find this guy. I guess that little boy found him for us," she said. "I'll get all those files back to Records today."  
  
"Bring the file from Peterson up to the Detectives though, then let Records know they've got it. Apparently, someone called to claim the body and they want to look through the file to see if there's any mention of her," he told her.  
  
"Really," Faith said, thinking out loud. "That's strange. I thought he said he didn't have any family left," she said. "I'll bring it up right now," she told the Lieutenant as she turned to gather the records.  
  
"You sure you want to wait for Boscorelli to get back? 'Cause the ceremony is just a formality. You can transfer upstairs now," the Lieutenant offered.  
  
"What? You're trying to get rid of me, Lieu?" she said jokingly.  
  
"No way. We're gonna miss you around here, Faith. It's been a pleasure working with you. Thanks for keeping Bosco in check for all those years," he said, smiling.  
  
"It was trying at times," she agreed. "But, I think our boy has finally grown up," she said, thinking how much he'd changed since he met Trisha. "But, I'd rather wait for Bosco. Unless the Squad has a problem with it?"  
  
"Not at all. They're fine with waiting for you as long as Bosco's "keeper" arrives the same day as he does," the Lieutenant told her. "I'm afraid that his reputation precedes him."  
  
"I'll talk to everyone before we get up there. Thanks, Lieu. Thanks for everything over the years," she said, saluting him before she left.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Can I help you, Officer?" the woman at the desk of the Detectives Squad asked her.  
  
"Um, yeah. I'm looking for Detective Thomas," Faith said to her, the file tucked under her arm.  
  
"May I tell him your name?" she asked.  
  
"Sure. I'm Of..., I mean Detective Yokas," Faith said, catching and correcting herself.  
  
The woman immediately smiled. "Oh, yes. Welcome, Detective. I'm Carol - the receptionist," she said, offering her hand to Faith. Faith shook her hand.  
  
"Hi, Carol. It's nice to meet you."  
  
"Well, let's see. Detective Thomas is away from his desk, but he's probably just getting coffee. You can go on back. His desk in the one right back there," Carol said, pointing toward a group of desks. "He should be right back."  
  
"Thanks, Carol," Faith said with a smile and turned to walk back to the indicated area as a man came walking from around the back corner with a cup of coffee in his hand.  
  
"Hey, Faith!" he called to her as he saw she was there. He extended his hand. "Congratulations and welcome. I didn't know you were starting today."  
  
"Well, I'm not really. I'm waiting for Bosco to come back to work," she said awkwardly.   
  
"Right. So, how's he doing? That was pretty freaky," he said, shaking his head.  
  
"Yeah. But, he's doing okay. He'll probably be home by tomorrow." She finally remembered why she was there when she felt the folder still tucked under her arm. She withdrew it and held it out to him. "Swersky said you were looking for this file. Sorry I didn't get it returned to Records sooner," she apologized.  
  
"No problem. You had a lot going on," he said. "So, you've been through this file recently," the detective told her as he rummaged through his notebook. "You ever hear of a Linda Watkins?" he asked, finding the right page finally.  
  
Faith searched her memory for the name in relation to the Peterson case, unable to recall the name in connection with the case. "No. Why?" she asked, sitting down across from him.  
  
"Well, we got a call from the M.E.'s office yesterday. Apparently, this woman called up wanting to claim Peterson's body for burial. Said she wasn't a relative, but had lived next to him one time and that he was always decent to her. The tech that took the call at the M.E.'s said she was pretty vague, but was upset that the body wasn't being released right away. We've checked her name against motor vehicle and census records and we can't find this woman. Unless, she was underaged and living with her parents and is now married. I don't see how we can ever find her, short of releasing the body and questioning her when she shows up to claim Peterson," he said.  
  
"Hmmm. I'll keep thinking on it. If I remember her at all, I'll definitely let you know," Faith said. "I'm going by to see Bosco later, I'll ask him if he remembers the name at all. He spent a lot more time with this guy than I did, although I don't know how much of that time he's gonna remember," she said, thinking back to the bruises and injuries he'd sustained.  
  
"Oh, well as long as you're going to go see him today, I'll let you talk to him. It'll be good experience for you," he said, winking.  
  
"Experience?" she asked, confused as to what he meant.  
  
"You know, for interviewing suspects? As a detective...," he said, laughing at the fact that she was still getting used to her new title.  
  
"Oh!" she said, eyes widening. "Right," she said, chuckling and standing up.  
  
"Don't worry, Faith. You'll get used to it," Thomas said, walking her to Carol's desk. "Let me know what Boscorelli has to say about this Watkins woman."  
  
"I will. Thanks," Faith said, turning to head back down the stairs, but remembering something else.  
  
"Hey, can I talk to you in private for a minute?" she asked the other Detective.  
  
"Sure. Let's go in here," he said, standing to the side as she walked into a small corner office.  
  
"What's up?" he asked, leaning against a desk.  
  
"Well, I just wanted to..., um..., well, I know Bosco has a reputation and I'm thought of as his keeper," she said. "I just wanted to let you know and maybe you can pass the word - without letting him know I said anything," she quickly added, "that he's changed a lot. He's not the same person - hasn't been for awhile now. I just think they should cut him some slack and let him start fresh," she finally finished.  
  
"I understand, Faith. I'll do my best and don't worry. I'll keep it between us," he told her.  
  
"Thanks," she said and heading back down the stairs.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	47. Chapter 47

Revenge  
  
Chapter 47  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So, what do you think? You want to try to get up to a chair today, Officer?" asked the nurse cheerily as she came into the room.  
  
"It's Maurice or Bosco," he told her as he put down the newspaper that one of the guys had dropped off to him. He'd been reading the story about Peterson, remembering bits and pieces of what had happened.  
  
"Sure," he said, as the nurse stood waiting for an answer.  
  
"Okay. Let's take it slow. Let me know if it hurts too much or you need to stop," she told him. She pulled back his covers and held out her arm for him to pull against as she helped him pull himself up straighter. It hurt, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. The nurse noticed a fine layer of sweat on his forehead at the effort.  
  
"Okay? Or do you need to stop for a second?" she asked. "Remember, taking this slow is no big deal. It's only been a day," she reminded him.  
  
"No. I'm okay. It'll feel good to get on my feet again," he said as she helped him move himself to the edge of the bed. The last time he remembered being upright was walking out of Haggerty's the night that Peterson attacked him. Now he sat at the edge of the bed, his feet and legs dangling. He felt a wave of dizziness and the nurse noticed his grip tighten slightly as he tried to steady himself.  
  
"Okay. Let's just sit here for a moment okay?" she said as she sat down next to him. Bosco nodded his agreement, as the initial dizziness from sitting up began to pass.  
  
"So, you've been through quite a bit," she said to him nonchalantly. He nodded. "You handling it okay? Cause we can have someone come in to talk to you, but only if you think you need to."  
  
"I'm okay. Some whacko, that's all. He's not going to bother anyone anymore," he said as he began to feel better.  
  
"Okay. Just letting you know the offer is out there if you change your mind," the nurse said, standing up again. "Ready to try to stand?" she asked, holding her arm out again.  
  
"Why not," he said as he slid himself off the bed and held her arm for support. "So, how are you gonna hold me up if I fall?" he joked, as he stood up, taller than her.  
  
"You'd be surprised at how strong I am. I had three brothers to keep up with. Believe me, I can hold my own," she said.  
  
He finally straightened as far as he could, but not fully as the pain from the abdominal incision prevented it. He took in a deep breath, filling his lungs, and began to cough. This caused pain in both his shoulder wound and his side. The nurse reached over with her other hand and took his. "Here, when you start to cough or laugh, you should either take a pillow - or if you're not near one - use your hand and just gently push against the tummy wound to so you don't hurt yourself or rip any stitches," she instructed him as she placed his hand against it.  
  
"My tummy wound?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at her.  
  
"Sorry," she laughed. "I'm filling in from pediatrics. You're lucky I didn't call it an 'owie," she said, causing him to laugh again. He tried putting his hand as she showed him and it worked.  
  
"Okay, so you want to go back to the bed, or do you feel up to sitting in that chair for a little bit?" the nurse asked, looking at him to try to gauge how he was feeling.  
  
"Um, I'll try the chair for a little bit," he said and she helped him take a couple of steps to it.  
  
"Okay, now do the same thing with your hand as you sit down. You'll find you have to do it less and less as you start to heal up and pretty soon, you'll be as good as new," she finished, standing up after he'd sat down fully. "Feel okay? You look kinda pale," she told him.  
  
"Yeah. I'm okay. I can't believe how tired I am now," he said, surprised at his fatigue.  
  
"Well, you've been through a lot. You're body needs time to recover. You'll be up and around like nothing happened in a few days. You okay here for a minute? I want to go check on the guy across the hall. He's being a real baby," she whispered.  
  
"Sure. Go ahead. I'm good," he told her. She reached over and grabbed his newspaper off the bed and handed it to him. She tapped the paper after he took it. "Yankees are on a streak!" she told him with a smile before turning to leave the room.  
  
As she reached the door, she turned to look at him to see if he was really okay and he said, "I bet you were a cheerleader in school, weren't you."  
  
"Go Team Go!" she said before leaving. Bosco chuckled again and then began to look over the newspaper again.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
About ten minutes later, Rose came through the door and was shocked to see her son sitting in a chair. She noticed that he had the newspaper lying across his lap, but that his head was back against the chair back and he was sleeping. She moved into the room and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed, not wanting to wake him up. Obviously, they had him up, out of bed and he was worn out.   
  
"Maybe I should go get someone to help put him back into the bed?" she thought to herself. Her attention was grabbed by her son's voice, mumbling something. She looked over and saw the frown on his face, but couldn't make out what he was saying. She could tell that he was upset though. She stood up and moved closer to him.  
  
"Maurice?" she said gently to him in an attempt to wake him from his dream. He must have incorporated her voice into his dream because his frown deepened and his breathing rate increased.  
  
She put a hand on his shoulder and called to him a little louder. This time, he woke with a start and reached out to grab onto whoever was touching him in an attempt to avoid being hurt any more.  
  
He grabbed onto her with such force that she called out to him. "Maurice! Please, let go. It's me. It's Rose!" she said and Bosco finally focused on the person in front of him.   
  
The nurse must have heard the outburst from across the hall and rushed into the room to see a scared look on the woman's face, with Bosco gripping her tightly, an angry look in his eyes.  
  
Rose's shout must have brought him out of the dream, because the nurse saw him loosen his grip and relax a little.  
  
"Ma! I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Bosco asked, hoping he hadn't hurt her. He was dreaming about being held by Peterson who was about to inflict more pain on him.  
  
"Maurice, it's okay. I'm fine. Are you okay?" Rose asked, rubbing her arm where Bosco had grabbed onto it, still not noticing the nurse standing there.  
  
"Yeah," he said, his breathing slowing down as he sat back against the chair, the pain from his straining suddenly setting in. The nurse saw the pained expression and came over to him.  
  
"Okay, Bosco. How about we get you back into bed. Enough exercise for one day," she said, bending down and helping him to get out of the chair.  
  
"Yeah, definitely," Bosco said, looking back to his mother. "You sure you're okay, Ma?" he asked, guilt in his voice.  
  
"I'm fine, Maurice. I'm sorry I startled you," Rose said, stepping back when she realized that they didn't need her help moving him back to bed.  
  
"I guess I fell asleep. I was having a dream, I guess," he said, slightly embarrassed.  
  
"Okay," the nurse said as she got him settled back into bed. "It's about time for some pain medicine. You don't have to, but I think it'd be a good idea since you were moving around a little," she suggested, not letting on that she knew he was in pain. She always believed that a patient should have a say in his own treatment and usually tried to let the patient decide when they needed pain medication whenever possible. She would definitely try to persuade them to take if she thought they really needed it, but she usually liked to let them make the decision initially.  
  
"Yeah. I am kind of sore," he said as he settled back against the pillows.  
  
"Okay. I'll be right back with something," she told him, as she finished checking his IV and adjusting his covers. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Rose still rubbing her arm, where a bruise was starting to appear.  
  
She left momentarily to get his medicine and returned. She discreetly handed Rose an ice pack for her arm and then administered the medicine. "This might make him a little sleepy," she told Rose.  
  
"Okay. I won't stay long. Thanks," she said, referring to the ice pack.  
  
"No problem. Call if you need me," she said to Bosco as she reached the door.  
  
"I'm really sorry, Ma," he apologized again.  
  
"It's okay, Maurice. I snuck up on you," she said, smiling. "So, you were out of bed already? How'd that feel?"  
  
"Tiring, actually," he said. "I didn't go far. Just from here to that chair," he said.  
  
"Well, that's a lot after surgery like that. Just don't rush yourself. Give yourself time to heal properly," she scolded, knowing her son all too well.  
  
"I will," he said, rolling his eyes. "Oh, hey. I forgot to tell you. Take a look in that drawer right there," he said, indicating the top drawer of the nightstand.  
  
Rose got up and moved over to the table, seeing the smile in her son's eyes. "Nothing's gonna jump out at me, is it?" she asked, leery about what she was going to find.  
  
"Just open it, Ma," he told her.  
  
"Maurice! What does this mean?" she asked, smiling at her son.  
  
"Me and Faith. We got promoted to Detective," he said proudly. Rose leaned over and hugged him.  
  
"I'm so proud of you, Maurice. That is just so great. So, what did Trisha say?" she asked, suddenly realizing that she wasn't there. She'd assumed when she came in that Trisha had just gone down to the coffee shop or something.  
  
"She was happy. I told her on the phone last night," he said, looking at the clock on the wall and starting to worry.  
  
"At home? She wasn't here last night or this morning?" Rose asked, surprised by that.  
  
"Yeah, she was here last night. Faith told her to go home and get some rest and she stayed with me until late last night. Faith said she almost passed out, so I wanted her to get some real rest. She should be here any time now," he said, looking at the clock again.  
  
"Almost passed out?" Rose said, concerned.  
  
"Yeah, she told Faith that she was just tired and hadn't really had anything to eat. I talked to her this morning. She sounded a lot better. She's bringing me coffee," he finished, stifling a yawn.  
  
"Well, then I'll let you get some rest before she gets here. Do you need anything?" she asked, gathering her jacket and purse.  
  
"No. I'm probably gonna to be getting out of here tomorrow anyway," he told her.  
  
"Really?" she asked, surprised. "Are you going to Trisha's?"  
  
"That's the plan right now," he told her. "Thanks from coming and I'm sorry if I hurt you," he said again.  
  
"No problem. I'll give you a call later from work. Mikey'll probably stop in to see you later on. Call me if you need anything," she said, giving him a kiss.  
  
"I will Ma. Thanks," he told her as she walked out of the door.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Trisha walked into the front door of the hospital with Bosco's coffee. She wasn't sure she was going to make it to the building, the nauseated feeling in her stomach becoming worse to the point that she thought she'd throw-up right there on the floor. Luckily, there was a ladies room right there and she hurried in, dropping the coffee on the floor.  
  
After about 15 minutes, the nausea started to pass. She wasn't able to throw up anything because she hadn't really had anything to eat. She never remembered feeling this terrible before and thought that maybe she should make an appointment with her doctor, then dismissing it as just from stress. She splashed some cold water on her face and patted it dry with a paper towel She grabbed a couple of handfuls of the towels to wipe up the spilled coffee.  
  
"Great. So much for Maurice's coffee," she said angrily to herself as she looked in the mirror at how tired she looked. She'd have to stop in the coffee shop and see if they had any flavored coffee she could offer him instead. She walked out of the ladies room, just missing Rose as she exited the building.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	48. Chapter 48

Revenge  
  
Chapter 48  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bosco woke about an hour after his mother left with a start. His subconscious broke into the pain medication-induced sleep and reminded him that he'd still not seen Trisha yet. He jumped when he remembed and awoke, startling Trisha who was napping in the chair next to him.  
  
Bosco turned toward the gasp that she let out and was relieved to see her there. "Trish?" he said with concern when he saw how terrible she looked.  
  
"Hey, Maurice," she said smiling and sitting forward. "How are you today?" she asked as he leaned forward and kissed her.  
  
"I'm okay, but what's wrong? You look awful," he said.  
  
"Gee. Thanks a lot," she responded sarcastically, tucking her hair behind her ear.  
  
"No. I mean..., do you feel okay? You look like you don't feel well," Bosco said with concern.  
  
"I'm fine. I told you, I'm just worried about you," she said. Deciding to change the subject she said, "I'm sorry, but I dropped your coffee on the way in. I tried to get you some more in the coffee shop downstairs, but it smelled like it was old. I promise I'll bring you extra tomorrow."  
  
"That's okay. Besides, I'll probably be going home tomorrow," he told her and laughed at the surprised look on her face.  
  
"Tomorrow?! Already?? Are they sure?" she asked, worried that he was pushing the doctors to let him go early.  
  
"That's what they said. As long as I have someone to stay with me," he added with a big grin.  
  
"I don't like that look, Boscorelli. This doesn't mean you're gonna pull the poor little old me act, does it? Cause I'm not gonna let you get lazy," she warned him, trying not to laugh.  
  
"Who me?" he said defensively.  
  
"Yes, Mr. 'I have a cold and I'm dying,'" she mimicked from two weeks ago when he had come down with a chest cold.  
  
"I thought women were supposed to be nurturing. You know, 'motherly'," he teased, feigning disgust.  
  
"Yes, nurturing - not babying," she corrected him. She looked at him for a moment until he asked her what she was looking at.  
  
"Nothing. I'm just so relieved that you're okay. I don't know what I would've done....," she trailed off, her eyes getting glassy as she fought back more tears.  
  
"Hey," he said gently. "I AM okay, so don't worry about me. Full recovery, the doctors said," he assured her, but she didn't hear him as something he said a moment ago about being motherly was stuck in her brain.  
  
"Trish?" she heard him say and realized that she wasn't listening to him.  
  
"I'm sorry, what?" she said, flustered.  
  
"I said that I'm worried about you," he repeated, reaching up to touch the side of her face.  
  
"I'm fine. I promise," she said, trying to assure him. "I'm going to run to the ladies room and freshen up, okay?" and he nodded.  
  
"Maybe I'll get a cup of coffee. You want me to see if they have any good coffee for you?" she asked.  
  
"Mmm. Yeah. That sounds good. Thanks," he said.  
  
She stood up and leaned over to give him a kiss and he watched her walk out of the room, still thinking that she didn't look well and making a mental note to remind her to get a checkup.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Trisha walked toward the ladies room, thinking about Bosco's comment from earlier. She counted back in her mind and realized that, after checking the date on her watch, that she may have an answer as to her fatigue and nausea.  
  
"Oh my God," she said to herself, not knowing what she'd do if she were.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
She'd been gone about two minutes when Bosco heard a cell phone ringing. He followed the sound to the pocket of her jacket that was piled at the bottom of his bed. Sitting forward carefully so as not to stretch his incisions too much, he reached for and pulled her jacket toward him.   
  
Reaching in the pocket, he pulled out the phone and managed to answer it by the fourth ring.  
  
"Hello?" he said into the phone.  
  
"Uh, yes. May I please speak with Linda Watkins?" asked the voice on the other end of the phone.  
  
Making a face, Bosco responded, "You must have the wrong number. This is not Linda Watkins' phone."  
  
"I'm sorry. I must have dialed wrong. Thank you," said the person on the other end, hanging up.  
  
Bosco was just putting the phone back into the pocket of the jacket when it rang again.  
  
"Hello?" he said into the phone, listening to the same person ask for Linda Watkins again.  
  
"Look. You have the wrong number. This is not Linda Watkins' phone," he said with a little irritation this time.  
  
"Well, this is the number that she gave me and I reached her at this number before," the voice said again.  
  
"Okay. Well, I'll tell the person whose phone it is that you called. Maybe it's a friend of hers or something," Bosco said. "What's the message?"  
  
"This is Amy Morris from the Manhattan Medical Examiner's office. I just wanted to let her know that the body is being released and she can contact me to make arrangements. My number is 555-8769," said the technician.  
  
"Whoa," Bosco said, surprised at the message. "I'll pass the message on," he said, hanging up the phone and putting it back in the jacket just as Trisha walked in with two steaming cups of coffee.  
  
"Hey," he said, taking in the aroma of the coffee, not noticing the shocked look still on Trisha's face.  
  
"Sorry it took so long. I talked them into making a fresh pot for you," she said, handing him the cup. "Be careful, it's really hot."   
  
Bosco took the cup from her and said, "Thanks. Hey, do you know a Linda Watkins?" Trisha dropped her cup of coffee on the floor, jumping back as it splashed.  
  
"Dammit!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward him.  
  
"Yes. I really wanted that coffee too," she said sadly, trying to change the subject. "I haven't had an appetite lately and that really smelled good."  
  
"Here, take some of mine," he offered. He watched her take a sip.  
  
"Thanks," she said, grateful for the warm liquid and the time to try to gather her thoughts.  
  
"So, do you know her?" he asked again.  
  
"I'm sorry. Who?" she asked, trying to think of something to say. "How could he know about the name she used with the morgue?" she thought to herself.  
  
"Linda Watkins. Did she use your cell phone or somethin'" he repeated.  
  
"Uh, no. I don't think I know any Linda Watkins. Why?" she asked hesitantly.  
  
"Well, an Amy Morris from the Manhattan Medical Examiner's office just called your cell phone for her and left a message that the body is being released and to contact her to make arrangements," Bosco said, obviously confused.  
  
"Oh my goodness," Trisha said. "Whoever this poor Linda person is, she's obviously waiting for her loved one's remains so she can make burial arrangements. I wonder how they got my number?" she said, feigning confusion and suddenly feeling nauseous again. Bosco shrugged.  
  
"Um. I think I'm gonna," Trisha said as she stood up fast and headed for the bathroom in Bosco's room.  
  
"Trisha?" Bosco said as he watched her complexion go grayish. She'd made it about halfway across the room when Bosco saw her fall to the ground.  
  
"Trisha!" he yelled, sitting forward quickly and feeling the pain in his side and shoulder.  
  
"Nurse! Nurse!" he yelled, as he tried to move out of his bed. The nurse came running into the room and was confused at first as she saw Bosco trying to get up and the woman lying on the floor.  
  
"Bosco! What happened?" she asked, as she knelt down alongside Trisha and checked to see if she was breathing.  
  
"I don't know. She was gonna get sick and was rushing to the bathroom and then she just fell. Is she okay?" he asked, sitting on the side of the bed.   
  
Assured that this woman was still breathing, the nurse went to the doorway and called for help from the nurse's station. Then she returned to check Bosco, who was looking quite pale himself.  
  
The other nurse and two orderlies came into the room and one orderly went to get a stretcher as the second nurse and the orderly started to assess their newest patient. There was a small cut where Trisha had hit her head on the floor when she passed out.   
  
"Is she okay?" Bosco asked with alarm. "She hasn't been feeling well," he offered as they lifted Trisha onto a stretcher and prepared to take her to the Emergency Room.  
  
"I'm going with her," he said to his nurse.  
  
"Bosco. You're in no shape to do that," she said trying to dissuade him.  
  
"Look! I'm going," he said, arguing with her as Faith came around the corner with Emily behind her. Emily and Charlie had wanted to see how Bosco was doing and Faith thought that one at a time would be best until he was feeling a little stronger.  
  
"Bosco! What's wrong with Trisha?" she asked as she came in the room, having passed her on the stretcher on her way in.  
  
"I don't know. She just passed out. I've gotta get down there," he said, attempting to stand up again.  
  
"Bosco. You can't do that. I'll go check and come back and tell you," the nurse said, trying to hold him back.  
  
"No. I've got to be with her," he argued.  
  
"Bos! I'll go. Just stay here. I'll go and I'll stay with her," Faith said to Bosco and he settled slightly.  
  
"Emily will stay here with you and I'll come let you know as soon as I know. Okay?" Faith finished.  
  
"Stay with her. As soon as you know anything, let me know," he told his partner.  
  
"I promise. Em, stay with Bosco," Faith told her and Emily nodded.  
  
"I will," Emily answered, looking slightly alarmed. The nurse helped Bosco back into bed and stayed a few minutes to make sure he was okay.  
  
After making sure that her patient was settled down, the nurse said, "I'll go see what I can find out and then your partner can stay there with your friend, okay?"  
  
"Thanks," Bosco said, as he relaxed slightly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	49. Chapter 49

Revenge  
  
Chapter 49  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Faith arrived the ER and sought out Mary Proctor, one of the nurses.   
  
"Faith? Everything okay?" Mary asked her, surprised to see her there. She knew it wasn't her regular shift and she wasn't in uniform.  
  
"Hey, Mary. Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just trying to check up on a friend of Bosco's. She was upstairs with him and passed out. They brought her down here. He's freakin' out and I told him I'd come find out how she was because he's in no condition to get down here," Faith explained.  
  
"Oh yeah. I remember hearing them bring someone in that passed out upstairs - a visitor. Do you have her name?" Mary asked, walking over to the admissions records.  
  
"Uh, Trisha. I'm not sure of her last name," Faith said, searching her memory.  
  
"Hmm. No Trish in the computer. Maybe they don't have it entered yet. I'll go check around." Proctor said, looking over the computer screen.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
Emily watched Bosco nervously sitting up in the hospital bed. He looked awful with his cuts and bruises. She could tell he was hurting, but he was more interested in how his girlfriend was.  
  
"So, how are you feeling?" she finally asked him, breaking him from his thoughts.  
  
"Hey, Em. I'm sorry. It's just...," he tried to explain, but she cut him off. He didn't even realize that she was there.  
  
"It's okay. I understand. Mom'll be back in a little bit and she'll know what's going on," she assured him. "So, you're going to be okay?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I'll be good as new soon enough," he answered, playing down his injuries for her.  
  
"We were all really worried about you. Charlie was really scared," she said, not revealing how scared she was too.  
  
"Where is Chuckie?" he asked, and Emily smiled at his name for her brother. Her mother hated when he called him that. It reminded her of that terrible movie with the doll.  
  
"He's at home. Mom wanted us to come in shifts - so we didn't tire you out too much," she told him.  
  
"You both could've come together. Your Mom's a worrier," he said, looking at the doorway every time he heard footsteps.  
  
"Always has been," Emily agreed. "And with good reason," she thought to herself, as she thought about her drug overdose and the grief she'd given her mother after that.  
  
As if knowing what she was thinking, he said, "Always will be. She loves you guys very much." Emily nodded and was about to agree when Bosco's nurse came back in.  
  
"Okay. How're you doing? I'm going to head down to the ER and see what I can find out. I'll be back as quick as I can," she told him.  
  
"I'm fine. I just need to know how Trisha is. Thanks," he said as he watched her leave.  
  
"Mom said on the way over that this looks pretty serious between you and Trisha," Emily said in a teasing tone.  
  
"Your mother needs to keep her mouth shut," he said, smiling.  
  
"I'm happy for you, Uncle Bosco," she said. She still referred to him as 'uncle' sometimes and he liked it.  
  
"Thanks," he said, as he looked at the clock again.  
  
*^*^*^***^*^*^*^**  
  
"Okay, let's get her hooked up to a monitor and give her some oxygen," Dr. Fields said as the nurse was getting vital signs and he checked her over for any signs of obvious injury other than the cut to her head.  
  
"Does anyone know what happened?" he asked, as he checked her pupils for reaction.  
  
"Apparently, she was visiting with a patient upstairs and passed out. She struck her head on the floor when she fell," the nurse answered.  
  
The nurse read off her blood pressure and pulse to the doctor. "Well, her pressure's on the low side. Her color's not very good either. He pinched the skin on the back of Trisha's hand between his thumb and forefinger and released it, watching as the skin slowly flattened out. "She's dehydrated. Look at the 'tenting' of her skin. Let's get an IV going with normal saline. I want a skull x-ray to make sure there's no fracture from her fall. And let's get some basic blood work to start," he said as the patient began to regain consciousness.  
  
"I already drew the blood," the nurse told him.  
  
Dr. Fields put a hand on Trisha's shoulder and said, "Miss. I'm Dr. Fields. You're in the ER at Mercy Hospital. It seems you passed out. Just relax and let us check you over to make sure you haven't hurt yourself."  
  
Trisha's eyes fluttered open as she heard the doctor telling her where she was. She pushed the oxygen mask away from her face, but it was put back in place by the doctor.  
  
"It's okay. The oxygen will help you. Just leave it on for a little bit, okay?" Dr. Fields told her.  
  
"No. I'm okay," Trisha said, trying to sit up, but finding it difficult with the cervical collar on her neck and the straps holding her to the backboard.  
  
"Please. Let me up," she said, getting agitated.  
  
"Just relax. We need to check to make sure you didn't hurt your spine in the fall. If you just lie still, I'll check your neck and back and you can let me know if it hurts anywhere that I touch," Dr. Fields said, waiting for her to calm down a little.  
  
Trisha realized that since she was strapped down, she wasn't about to win this fight and calmed down. The doctor released the straps of the collar and told her to lie still. He palpated the back of her neck, up and down the cervical spine without causing her pain. He then released the upper strap to the backboard and put his hand down her upper back and palpated along the vertebrae in her back.  
  
"Any pain at all?" he asked.  
  
"No," she answered.  
  
"Okay, very slowly, turn your head toward me and then away from me," he said, putting a hand on either side of her head so she didn't move too quickly. "Anything?"  
  
"No. I'm fine, really," she said.  
  
"Okay, bring your head forward and touch your chin to your chest," he asked her and she complied. "Any pain at all?"  
  
"No. I told you, I'm fine. Please undo all of this and let me up," she said, irritated.  
  
Dr. Fields, satisfied that she had no spinal injury, took the collar off and undid the rest of the backboard, the nurse helping to slide it out from under her.  
  
"Do you remember what happened, Miss..." he said.  
  
"Trisha. Trisha Miller. I've just been worried about my boyfriend. He's upstairs. I haven't been eating or sleeping well. Really, I'm fine," she said, sitting up.  
  
"Officer Boscorelli," the nurse offered to the doctor.  
  
Trisha felt her head spin as she sat up - something the doctor didn't miss and he put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.  
  
"Well, Miss Miller. You're dehydrated and your blood pressure is pretty low. You're also going to need a couple of stitches where you hit your head when you fell," he said, and she put her hand up to the cut, feeling the bandage that had been put there.  
  
"Just let this IV bag run until it's gone. It'll help with the dehydration and we'll see if we can get you something light to eat. Then, I'll stitch that up for you and you'll be set to go as long as all your blood work checks out," he explained.  
  
"Blood work?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, we draw blood as a standard when a person comes in unconscious. It'll only take a short while and we'll have you on your way," he said, not noticing the worried look on her face.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	50. Chapter 50

Revenge  
  
Chapter 50  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Okay, I'm gonna go tell Bosco what's going on," Faith said to Mary Proctor after hearing what she was able to find out. "Can I just peek in and tell her I'm here if she needs me?"  
  
"I don't see why not. She's back this way," Mary said, leading the way.  
  
"Ms. Miller. There's someone here to see you," Mary said as she led Faith into the room.  
  
"Hey, Trisha. How're you feelin'?" Faith asked her, mistaking the nervous look on her face at Faith's presence as the look of her not feeling well.  
  
"I'm fine, really," she tried to assure Faith. "Is Bosco okay?"  
  
"He's worried - sent me down here to find out how you were because his nurse wouldn't let him come himself," Faith said. "Not like he didn't try like hell though," she joked.  
  
"It's embarrassing," Trisha said. "Tell him I'm fine and to just stay put. I'll be up as soon as they let me out of here."   
  
"Okay. I'll go tell him you're doin' okay and then I'll come back down here with you. Unless there's someone you want me to call for you?" Faith asked as an afterthought.  
  
Trisha felt her stomach tighten as she fought back a tear. "No. Just Bosco, but you stay with him. I'll come up as soon as they take all this stuff off me," she said, indicating the oxygen and the IV.  
  
"Okay. I'll be up there if you need me though," Faith offered again before leaving. She passed the doctor coming back into the room, but didn't notice the frown on his face as he looked at the paper in his hand.  
  
"Ms. Miller. I've got your blood results back," the doctor started. He looked from the paper to his patient with a smile, hoping that it was going to be good news for her.  
  
"Is it possible that you might be pregnant?" he asked her.  
  
"What?" Trisha said, semi-surprised.  
  
"According to these results, you are. Have you missed your menstrual cycle at all?" he asked her as the nurse pulled an ultrasound machine over to her.  
  
"Um. Gee...," Trisha said, trying to think back. "I guess I have. I didn't realize with everything going on with Bosco," she said.  
  
"Well, then I guess congratulations are in order?" he asked, not getting any response. He assumed it was probably just the shock of it. "We're just going to take a look with this ultrasound and see if we can find the baby in there and try to find out how far along you are. Do you have an OB/GYN doctor, or would you like me to recommend someone?" the doctor asked her as he raised her gown and put the gel on her abdomen. She looked at the screen on the machine as the doctor moved the instrument over her abdomen and stopped. On the screen she saw the littlest flutter of some kind.  
  
"That's the baby's heart," the doctor told her, noting that he couldn't tell if she was happy or not. "I'm no expert - your obstetrician will be able to tell you for sure - but you look like your about a three weeks along. Have you been having any nausea or fatigue? We know you're dehydrated, so I'd have to guess that you haven't been eating or drinking too well," he said.  
  
"Um, yeah. I thought I just had some stomach thing, what with everything going on and all," she said, unable to take her eyes off the screen.  
  
"Well, that's your answer. Everything looks normal, but I do want you to follow up with someone soon. Especially if you need to know your options," he said.  
  
"My options?" Trisha asked him, finally looking at him.  
  
"Yes. I mean if your undecided about keeping it," he answered.  
  
"Not keep it? How could I not keep it? It's part of us. I love it already," she said, a tear escaping.   
  
"I'm just not sure how Bosco's gonna feel about being a father, especially if he finds out about Paul," she thought to herself, brushing the tear from her cheek.  
  
"Okay. Well, let's get that cut sutured up and then you should be all set to go. But, you'll need to take it easy and keep taking plenty of fluids. If the nausea is too bad, I could write you a prescription," the doctor offered.  
  
"Thanks. But, now that I know what's causing it, I'm sure I'll be able to figure out how to deal with it. I mean, women have been dealing with it for all of time, right?" Trisha said, finally smiling.  
  
"Right, but no sense suffering if you don't need to," he said, turning off the machine and tearing the piece of paper that he printed out from it with the ultrasound picture of the baby and handing it to her.  
  
"I'll be right back," the doctor told her. She just held the picture in her hand, staring at it and wondering what would happen next.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Faith walked back into the room and Bosco just about jumped out of the bed at her.  
  
"Is Trisha okay? What happened? Should I get down there?" he asked.  
  
"Whoa, Bos. Calm down. She's okay. She's awake and she was talking to me. She's more worried about you. I guess she was dehydrated. They have an IV going to re-hydrate her. The doctor's gonna put in a few stitches where she hit her head and then she'll be discharged. She said she'll come up when she's done and to tell you not to worry," Faith told him.  
  
"Dehydrated?! From what?" he wondered aloud.  
  
"Oh, probably because she's been worried about you and hasn't been taking care of herself or eating right. So, did he drive you crazy, Em?" Faith asked her daughter.  
  
"No. He's cool," Emily said with a smile. "But I think you're right about this Trisha, Mom," she teased, getting a grimace from Bosco.  
  
Just then, Trisha's cell phone rang again. "Want me to get that?" Faith asked as they stared at the jacket where the phone was.  
  
"No. It's a wrong number. All day it's been ringing," he told her. "They'll get the hint soon enough," he added, as the phone stopped ringing after the fifth ring.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
"No, Sir. I've tried. A man answered and said that I had the wrong number. I tried twice and now there's no answer at all. I left a voice mail message," the morgue technician told the detective.  
  
"Okay, thanks. Why don't you give me the cell number and I'll see if I can trace it," the detective suggested. The technician read him off the number.  
  
"So, what if this woman calls me. Do I release the body, or what?" the technician asked.  
  
"Tell her she can come, but give her a time. Give me enough time to get here and then call me right away. Either me or one of the other detectives will come right over and then we'll talk to this Linda Watkins person," the detective instructed.  
  
"Okay. Will do," the technician said, hanging up the phone.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^  
  
The doctor had finished suturing Trisha's cut and the nurse was just putting a dressing on it. "Now, keep that clean and dry for seven to ten days. You can come back here to have the stitches removed in about ten days,if you don't have your own doctor," he explained as he finished up the notes in the chart.  
  
"I've written down the names and numbers of a couple of good obstetricians for you. You should see someone within the next couple of weeks - sooner if you have any problems like bleeding or cramping or anything else that concerns you," he explained.  
  
"Thank you, Doctor. I'm feeling much better now," she said as the nurse gathered up the open packages of gauze.  
  
"Okay, well you can get dressed and they'll have your paperwork out at the desk," the doctor said, reaching out to shake her hand. "It was nice meeting you. And, congratulations."  
  
"Thanks," Trisha said, a smile playing on her lips.  
  
She finished dressing and headed out to get her discharge papers. As she walked up the hallway, she passed the payphone and thought about the call that Bosco had told her about. She realized that she didn't have her purse or her phone with her, so she couldn't call from down here. She'd have to try when she got home later.  
  
She also realized that she'd have to stop at the store and stock up on some food and then to Maurice's to pick up some clothes for him for when he comes home tomorrow. She rushed down the hallway to the elevator to head upstairs.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
TBC... 


	51. Chapter 51

Revenge  
  
Chapter 51  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"... tomorrow already?" Faith was saying with surprise as Trisha came into the room. Faith saw Bosco look past her to the door and turned to see who was there.  
  
"Hey," he said taking in her appearance and noticing how tired she looked. "Are you okay?" he asked as Faith stood up and motioned for her to sit in the chair.  
  
"Hey, yourself," she said, acting more energetic than she felt. She had a pounding headache from hitting her head. "I'm fine. It was stupid," she told him, walking over toward him. She leaned over and gave him a kiss. "How are you?"  
  
"Better now," he said, satisfied that she wasn't dying and no one wanted to tell him. "What'd the doctor say? Why'd you pass out like that?"  
  
Faith cleared her throat in an attempt to find an opening in the conversation to excuse themselves. They needed a little privacy and she had to get Emily back home. Trisha and Bosco looked at Faith.  
  
"Um, we're gonna take off," Faith said, walking over to Emily who Trisha hadn't even noticed.  
  
"Is this Emily?" Trisha asked, smiling.  
  
Emily nodded and held out her hand in a greeting. "It's nice to meet you. I'm glad you're okay. You really gave Uncle Bosco a scare - all of us," she corrected as Bosco blushed.  
  
"Uncle Bosco...," Trisha repeated. "That's nice. It's nice to meet you too. I've heard a lot about you from your Uncle Bosco," Trisha said, teasing Bosco.  
  
"Hopefully only the good stuff," Emily said, somewhat embarrassed that this woman that she hardly knew might know about her recent problems.  
  
"As far as I know, that's all there is. He just glows about both you and your brother," Trisha said, not indicating that Bosco had told her about what happened with the drug overdose. She could see a look of relief come over the girl's face and she knew what her secret remaining safe meant to her all too well.  
  
"Well," Faith said interrupting. "We're gonna get going. Charlie and Fred are probably wondering where the heck we are. I'm glad you're okay, Trisha. Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything - either of you," she offered. Then to Bosco she said, "Call me if they spring you tomorrow, just so I know, okay?"  
  
"I will," he said. "Thanks, for coming and for staying with me, Em," he said, looking at her.  
  
"Sure. No problem," Emily replied.  
  
"Okay," Faith said, gathering her jacket and purse along with Emily's. "Goodnight you two," she said and they left the room.  
  
Trisha looked back at Bosco, who hadn't watched Faith and Emily leave. Rather, he was looking at her. She leaned into him again and they kissed.  
  
"You're okay? What'd the doctor say?" he asked her again.   
  
She put her hand on the side of his face and looked at him. "I'm fine. Just some kind of bug or something," she lied, not sure whether she wanted to tell him the truth because she didn't know how he'd react. She didn't even know how to react yet.  
  
"Yeah?" he said. "You're sure that's all?" he prodded, looking her in the eye as he wrapped an arm around her waste and pulled her closer to him. She noticed the grimace of pain that he tried to hide.  
  
"That's all," she assured him. "But you. You're in pain," she told him, kissing him again.  
  
"I'm okay," he told her. "Now that I know you are. You scared the hell out of me, Trish," he told her.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't enjoy it too much myself," she joked, touching the bandage that covered her stitches. She had to admit that she did feel a little better since she had the IV fluids in her.  
  
"I'm going to go get some fresh water in this pitcher," she said, unwrapping his arm from her waist and walking over to the nightstand. She picked up the pitcher and caught him staring at her again.  
  
"Maurice?" she said. "What is it?"  
  
"Nothing. You just look a little different, that's all. I don't know what it is," he observed.  
  
"I'm sure," she said, running a hand through her disheveled hair. "I look like hell," she said, grabbing his foot as she walked by the end of the bed to the hallway to fill the pitcher. "And I'm going to ask the nurse to give you some of your pain medicine. I can see that you're hurting, just by looking at your face," she told him, walking into the hallway.  
  
Bosco smiled to himself, grateful that she was okay. She looked really wiped out though. As soon as she got back, he'd insist that she head home and get something to eat and a good night's sleep.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
Trisha walked into the little utility room/kitchenette near the nurse's station. She dumped out the old water in the pitcher and rinsed it under the faucet. She moved over to the refrigerator and got some ice out of the icemaker. She was re-filling the pitcher with fresh water when Bosco's nurse walked in.  
  
"Hey, you're back," she said with a smile. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine. Just too little rest and not enough food," she told her. "Stupid on my part, but I've just been so worried about Maurice."  
  
"Well, he's doing great so you should be able to get some good rest tonight," the nurse assured her.  
  
"When's the last time he had some pain medication? He's pretty uncomfortable," Trisha told the nurse.  
  
"Well, that's because he wouldn't take anything until he knew that you were okay. I'll head in there now and see if he'll take it now that you're back," she said, discarding the items that were on the patient tray she'd brought in.  
  
"Thanks. Don't take 'no' for an answer," Trisha said, putting the lid on the pitcher and heading back to Bosco's room with the nurse following her.  
  
"Don't worry. I think that between the two of us, we can take him if he tries to give us any trouble," the nurse joked as they walked into Bosco's room.  
  
"What's so funny. Uh oh, you're ganging up on me, aren't you," Bosco said as he tried to adjust himself to be more comfortable in the bed.  
  
"Nothing gets by you, Officer," the nurse said as she took the syringe of medicine that she'd been about to give him when Trisha passed out earlier from her pocket and put it into his IV.  
  
"I'm tellin' you, he's sharp as a tack. You know he's a Detective now, right?" Trisha said teasingly, taking up a position on the other side of the bed.  
  
"Is that right? Congratulations!" the nurse said as Bosco felt the relaxation from the medicine that was traveling through his veins. "Okay. I'll check back in a few minutes, 'Detective,'" she said with a smile.  
  
"Thanks," Bosco said, laying his head back on the pillow and Trisha played with his hair.  
  
"Better?" she asked him, already knowing from the drooping of his eyelids.  
  
"Yeah. But you. I want you to go home and get some real sleep and food," he said, raising his head to make his point.  
  
"I think I'll take you up on that," Trisha said. "If you're sure you'll be okay."  
  
"I'm fine. I think I'm gonna sleep like a log myself," he said to her as Ty Davis and John Sullivan walked into the room.  
  
"Boscooooo," Davis said. "Whassup?"  
  
"Hey guys. Not much. What'd you guys bring in?" he asked them.  
  
"Oh, the usual. Some drunk beating up his wife again," Sully told him. "Just thought we'd stop in and check up on you. So, how're you doing?"  
  
"I'm okay. Better and better. They're probably gonna let me out of here tomorrow," he told his friends as he looked over at Trisha to see her trying to hide a yawn behind her hand.  
  
"Hey, can you guys do me a favor? My woman here could use a lift home. She had a hard day and I don't really want her having to deal with taxis and buses," Bosco asked.  
  
"Sure. We're just about ready to head out. We'll wait for you down at the Emergency entrance," Sully said.  
  
"Oh no. I don't want to take you away from your work," she said.  
  
"We're just on our way back to the house anyway with this guy we brought in. Davis will sit in back with him and you can ride up front with us more civilized folk," Sully joked. "It's right on the way," he assured her.  
  
"Well, if you're sure..," she said.  
  
"Absolutely. We'll meet you down there in about five minutes, okay?" Sully said.  
  
"Thanks, guys," Bosco said as the two officers left.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" she said to him, moving closer.  
  
"Only if you climb into this bed with me, but that won't get you any rest," he said with a wicked grin.  
  
"Detective!" she exclaimed in mock horror and Bosco laughed.  
  
"Sleep in tomorrow. I'll call you when the doctors let me know if I can get out of here," he told her as she leaned over and they kissed each other goodnight. She gathered her purse and jacket and turned back toward him.  
  
"Okay. But call me sooner if you need me. Promise?" she said.  
  
"Promise," he said, feeling utterly exhausted all of a sudden.  
  
"Okay. Sleep well. I love you," she said turning back to him as she reached the doorway, only to find him already asleep. She watched him for a moment and then walked down the hallway toward the elevators.  
  
"Heading home?" the nurse said as she reached the elevators.  
  
"Yeah. He's already asleep," Trisha told her.  
  
"I figured. Don't worry. He'll be fine," the nurse assured her.  
  
"Goodnight," Trisha said as she got in the elevator and the doors closed.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Just as Emily and Faith reached their apartment and were about to open the door, Faith's cell phone rang, making them both jump.  
  
"It's probably Daddy calling to see where the heck we are," Faith said, answering the phone.  
  
"We're right here," she said into the phone as she pushed the apartment door open. She saw Charlie and Fred sitting on the couch and Fred didn't have the phone in his hand.  
  
"Oh! Hello?" she said into the phone.  
  
"Detective Yokas?" the voice on the other end asked.  
  
"Yes, sorry. I thought you were my husband calling," she said, embarrassed as Fred and Charlie chuckled quietly. Faith made a face at them and picked up a couch pillow and threw it in their direction, causing more laughter from Charlie.  
  
"No problem. This is Jimmy Swanson, from the Detective's office. I just wanted to follow up with you. The day guys left a note in the file that you were gonna talk with Boscorelli about this Linda Watkins?" Detective Swanson said.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Faith said, mentally kicking herself for forgetting. "Well, I didn't get a chance to talk to him today. There were some complications today and he wasn't able to talk with me about it," Faith said.  
  
"Oh. He's okay, isn't he?" the Detective asked with concern.  
  
"Oh yeah. He's fine, but his girlfriend was sick and she was down in the ER so we didn't really talk today. I'll be sure to call him first thing in the morning about it," Faith explained.  
  
"Okay. No problem. Just give us a call and let us know if he has any information, okay?" Swanson said.  
  
"Absolutely!" Faith assured him, hanging up the phone.  
  
"Everything okay?" Fred asked her, overhearing Faith's conversation about Bosco's girlfriend.  
  
"Yeah, everyone's fine," Faith said and explained the happenings of the day.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	52. Chapter 52

Revenge  
  
Chapter 52  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Trisha was grateful that she'd made the decision to stop at the store on the way home last night despite how exhausted she was. She actually had an appetite this morning and was glad she didn't have to run down to the corner to get something to eat, taking the chance that the appetite was a fleeting thing.  
  
She stood at the window as she sipped her coffee while she waited for her bagel to get done in the toaster, trying to decide whether she wanted cream cheese on it or just butter. Her eyes landed on a young woman pushing a baby carriage and she watched her walk down the street until she was out of sight. She absently put a hand on her stomach, still unable to believe that she was carrying a baby inside of her. "How exciting," she thought to herself, a wave of excitement rippling through her. "How terrifying," she voiced out loud as the toaster popped, revealing her bagel, toasted a golden brown. The wave of excitement had turned to fear in a matter of seconds. She'd spent much of the night fretting about how Maurice would react to the news - getting little or no sleep.  
  
She thought he'd be happy, but what if he found out about Paul. She genuinely loved Maurice and was happy to be carrying a baby that had come from the love that they shared. But, Maurice was in love with who he thought she was. How would he feel if and when it came out who she actually was - the stepsister of the man that had held him hostage, tortured him, and almost killed him - the woman who had willingly gotten into a relationship with him in order to help her deranged stepbrother get his revenge.  
  
She walked over to the toaster and took the bagel out. She looked at it for a moment and then turned to throw it in the garbage as her stomach rolled. She ran to the bathroom where she spent the next few minutes getting rid of the coffee she'd just put into her stomach. She decided as she sat on the cool bathroom floor that she needed a nice, warm shower to stop her shivering. She turned on the shower and climbed in, letting the warm water soak her and warm her. All the while she wished that Maurice were in the shower with her, warming her with his touch as the water flowed over both of them. She closed her eyes and felt his presence from the last time they'd showered together - it was right before he'd gone to work that day - the day that Paul had set his plan into motion.   
  
She didn't know what he had planned - didn't want to know - so it was as much of a surprise to her as it was to everyone else when Maurice went missing. She closed her eyes, trying to remember every detail of that morning in the shower, the feel of his hands on her and the feel of her hands on him. She remembered the feeling of his lips on hers as they became one, with the water running over them. They didn't even feel the water start to run cold as they depleted the hot water in the water tank - not until they were done loving each other. Trisha felt tears spring to her eyes as she slowly lowered herself so that she was sitting in the tub, the water from the shower continuing to spray down on her, wondering if she'd ever be as happy as that day again.  
  
She stayed in the tub until the water again began to run cold. Then, she slowly stood and turned off the shower. She stepped out and grabbed a towel from the linen cabinet alongside the sink and wrapped it around herself. She looked into the mirror and saw the tired face staring back at her - dark circles under her eyes and her recent weight loss beginning to show on her face.  
  
She finished drying off and, with the towel still wrapped around her, she walked into the bedroom, falling onto the bed and pulling the comforter around her, her wet hair soaking into the pillow. She fell soundly asleep.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
"Well, good morning, Detective," said the doctor as he walked into the room. Bosco had been up for a couple of hours in anticipation of being able to go home. He felt remarkably well today. He still had the aches and pains, but the major pain from his surgery had disappeared. He was able to go into the bathroom and get cleaned up, using the razor that had been provided to get rid of his beard, revealing the cuts underneath from the punishment he withstood.  
  
Now, he sat in the chair alongside his bed, waiting for the news that he could go home.  
  
"Hey, Doc. How are you?" he said, putting his newspaper down.  
  
"I'm good. And you look much better than a couple of days ago. Can you get up here so I can examine you?" the doctor said, motioning toward the bed.  
  
Bosco slowly came to his feet and walked over to the bed unassisted, despite the nurse's hand on his arm in an attempt to help if he needed it. He laid back and the doctor raised his t-shirt he'd changed into after he cleaned up. Trisha had brought him some t-shirts and a couple pairs of sweats. The doctor examined Bosco's wounds, causing him to flinch slightly.  
  
"Everything's healing nicely," he said, lowering Bosco's shirt and taking hold of his arm to check the range of motion of his shoulder, making him wince. "You'll need some therapy for that shoulder," the doctor told him as he checked the wound for infection.  
  
After checking the other spots where he'd needed sutures, the doctor picked up his chart to check on his vitals. "No fever, no signs of infection. Well, I'd say that you're too well to be here," the doctor said. "You have someone you can stay with if we discharge you? I don't want you trying to do too much right away, so you'll need help."  
  
"I'll be staying with my girlfriend at her place, Doc. We already talked about it. She's just waiting for me to call her and tell her I'm coming home," Bosco told him, anxious to get back home.  
  
The doctor nodded and stood up. "Well, give her a call because you're wasting my time."  
  
"Thanks," Bosco said and the two men shook hands.   
  
"You were lucky. Very lucky from what I've heard and seen on the news. If you call my office to set up an appointment for about a week, we'll take those stitches out. Of course, if there are any problems before that, call or come into the ER right away," he instructed.  
  
"Will do," Bosco agreed, reaching for the phone.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Trisha and Maurice were looking at each other, an awful look of hurt from her deception on his face. She thought she saw a tear in his eye, but then realized it was her own tears falling.  
  
"Maurice. Please. I love you," she said to him, taking a step closer only to have him back away, a look of disgust on his face.  
  
"No. Liar! You lied to me. I thought we had something special. I thought you were finally the one," he said, the hurt on his face intensifying.  
  
"Bos. C'mon. I'll take you home. I'm sorry," Faith was saying behind him. Trisha looked past Maurice to see the anger on Faith's face.  
  
"Faith, please. I love him. Don't take him away," she said, crying harder now.  
  
"Maurice! No! Please!" she called after him, reaching out. She watched him pull the door shut behind him, leaving her standing in the middle of her living room - alone. She put her hand to her swollen stomach. Would he really let her raise this child alone?  
  
She woke to the sound of the phone ringing. It must have rang at least five times, because the answering machine had picked it up. She heard the end of the message and then heard Maurice's voice.  
  
"Hey! Sleepy head! Wake up. I'm sprung. Well, I guess you're either really sleeping hard or not home. If I don't hear from you in about a half hour, I'll give Faith a call to come get me and I'll see you at your place," he said as she listened to his cheerful voice.  
  
She slowly sat up, wiping the fresh tears from her cheeks. She got up and put some clothes on, went back into the bathroom to fix her hair that had dried. She decided to bend over the sink and re-wash it to start from scratch.  
  
Having gotten dressed and her hair dried and styled, she went to the phone and called Maurice's room.  
  
"Hello," came the voice from the other end.  
  
"Hello yourself. Sorry. I was in the shower when you called," she lied, putting a happy tone to her voice. "I'm on my way over to get you. That boy's father called Faith and she had him drop your car off here when it was done being fixed," she told him.  
  
"My car..." he said, remembering about the damage. She laughed at the childlike sound of his voice.  
  
"Your car is fine. I can't even tell that something happened to it. You can give it a kiss when I get there," she teased.  
  
"Okay," he said, sounding embarrassed. "Drive carefully."  
  
"Don't worry. I won't scratch it," she teased him some more.  
  
"No. I meant for you to be careful," he said.  
  
"I know. I'll see you in a little bit," she said, hanging up the phone and leaving her hand on it.  
  
She picked up the phone again and called the morgue, remembering about the message that Maurice had given to her.  
  
"Manhattan Morgue," answered the voice from the other end.  
  
"Yes, is Amy working today? I'm returning her call," Trisha said into the phone.  
  
"Sure. Can I tell her who's calling?" the voice asked.  
  
"Um, yeah. Tell her it's Linda Watkins," she answered.  
  
"Hold on a moment, please," the voice said and she was placed on hold listening to some old song she never remembered hearing before.  
  
"Ms. Watkins, this is Amy. Thanks for calling me back. I just wanted to let you know that you could come and claim Mr. Peterson's body for burial if you still want to. The police are done with it, I mean him," Amy said.  
  
"Thank you for calling. I'm not sure when I'll get there, but it will be in the next day or so. Is that okay? I have a sick friend that I'm taking care of right now and I can't leave him just yet," Trisha explained, trying to figure out how to handle having Paul buried.  
  
"Sure. I'll just let the..., uh, the boss know the status," Amy said.  
  
"Thanks again, Amy," Trisha said, hanging up the phone.  
  
She went back into the bathroom and bedroom, collecting her laundry, deciding to put a fresh set of sheets on the bed for Maurice and throwing the clothes into the washer downstairs on her way out. She stopped on her way to the door with the laundry and dropped it by the door.  
  
Suddenly thinking of an idea, she walked over to the phone book. She looked up a number and called a funeral home near the morgue. Speaking with the funeral director, she left instructions for Paul's body to be picked up from the morgue and transported to the funeral home. She gave him the same story she'd given the people at the morgue, explaining that she'd appreciate it if he kept everything as confidential as possible as, due to the circumstances surrounding Mr. Peterson's death, she didn't want the media attention from just trying to do something decent for a man who did her no harm. She'd be in to finalize the burial in a day or so. He asked her a couple of questions and she told him that there would be no calling hours and no funeral service. She just wanted him to have a decent burial - not put in some unmarked grave, the bill footed by the City.  
  
The funeral director understood and agreed to the utmost confidence, something he told her he prided himself on. She thanked him, hung up and dialed Amy back to let her know that a funeral home would be coming to pick up the body - giving her a bogus funeral home name and hoping that the discrepancy wouldn't come up when the home actually came to pick up his body.  
  
She went back and gathered up the laundry basket, along with her purse and the keys to Maurice's car. She stopped in the laundry and started the washer, then went outside to drive to the hospital to pick up Maurice, trying to put thoughts of her deceased stepbrother out of her mind and be cheerful when she saw Maurice.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	53. Chapter 53

Revenge   
  
Chapter 53  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Faith was on her way over to the hospital to see Bosco and talk to him about the woman the Detectives had asked her to talk to him about. She was going to talk to him about it the other day, but then Trisha had gotten sick and she never got around to it. Now, just as Faith reached the door her phone rang. She looked at her watch, trying to decide whether to go back and answer it or let the machine get it and check the message later. She decided that she'd answer it in case it was one of the kids or Fred needing her. She answered on the fourth ring and was rewarded by a call from work.  
  
"Detective Yokas?" came the voice from the other end.  
  
"Uh, yes. Speaking," Faith answered, still not used to hearing herself called 'detective.'  
  
"Detective, this is Carol from the Detective's Squad. We met the other day..." she said, waiting for Faith to recognize the name.  
  
"Oh, yes, Carol. How are you?" Faith answered, trying not to sound impatient.  
  
"Fine. I hate to bother you at home, but Detective Thomas asked me to get you on the phone. Hold on and I'll transfer you to his phone," Carol told her.  
  
A few rings later and Faith heard her new supervisor answer his phone. "Faith! How are you?" he asked cheerfully.  
  
"I'm good. What's up, Sir?" Faith answered, not sure what she should call him - David or Sir.  
  
"Please, Faith. It's just 'Dave'," he corrected her. "Anyways, I was just wondering if you'd had a chance to talk to Boscorelli yet about that name? If not, I can take a run over there and talk to him. I'll be there on some other business anyway."  
  
"Actually, I was just on my way over to see him when my phone rang," Faith told him. "I didn't get a chance to talk to him before because..., well, it's a long story," she said, deciding he didn't want all the details.  
  
"Great. Well, let me know what you find out. I should be in the office all shift and the desk has my numbers if I'm out," he told her.  
  
"Okay. I'll be in touch," Faith answered and then hung up.  
  
She walked over to the door and, taking another look around the apartment, walked out pulling the door shut behind her just as her phone began to ring again. After about five rings, the machine picked up.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Trisha came into Bosco's room and he was still worried. She looked a little better than yesterday - but not much.  
  
"Hey," he said as she came in and leaned down to give him a kiss which ended up turning into a longer kiss.  
  
"Ahem," came the voice from the doorway. Trisha and Bosco broke away from each other, Bosco moving too fast and causing himself to jump from the pain.  
  
"Ow!" he hissed and looked toward the door. "Hey, Ty," he said as Trisha tried to get herself unflustered. Bosco smirked as he watched her nervously tuck her hair behind her ear and try to act nonchalant out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"So, I guess you're feeling better," Ty teased, looking back and forth between Trisha and Bosco. "Hi, Trisha. I'm Ty Davis. I work with Bosco," Ty said, extending his hand, not sure if she'd remember him from the Precinct.  
  
Trisha reached out and shook it. "I remember you from the police station when Maurice was missing...," she said, trailing off at the memory of that time.  
  
"Right. So, anyways, Man. You're looking a lot better. What's the word?" Ty asked.  
  
"Word is that I'm outta here," Bosco said with a big grin as he reached over and took Trisha's hand - a move that did not go unnoticed by Ty.  
  
"Great! So, when do you come back to work?" Ty asked.  
  
"As soon as poss...," Bosco started, only to be interrupted.  
  
"As soon as the doctor says that he's absolutely ready," Trisha said, looking over at Bosco to make her point.  
  
"What she said," Bosco said, rolling his eyes and promptly receiving a shove from Trisha at the expression.  
  
"Well, good. Then, I won't keep you here any longer. You going to your place?" Ty asked.  
  
"Nah. My woman's gonna wait on me hand and foot at her place," Bosco said.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you hire someone to wait on you, because it sure isn't gonna be me? I did my duty when you had the sniffles a while ago. Poor baby," she said, teasing him back and making Ty laugh.  
  
"It wasn't the sniffles. I was really sick!" Bosco protested as Ty backed toward the door.  
  
"Okay - that's my cue. I'm outta here," he said, taking a step back toward Bosco and reaching out to shake his hand. "Seriously, Man. Call me if you need anything. Glad you're getting better so quick. Bye," he said, waving to them both as he headed out the door.  
  
"Thanks, Ty," Bosco called after him.  
  
"So, you ready to head out of here?" Trisha asked him as an orderly came in with a wheelchair. She'd stopped at the desk and got his discharge papers and was now waiting for him to object to the wheelchair, but he didn't, indicating to Trisha that he was still hurting despite how he acted.  
  
"Absolutely," he said, standing up slowly. "Oh, wait! I wanna call Faith before I leave so she doesn't come over here for no reason," he said, reaching for the phone.  
  
Trisha watched as he waited for Faith to answer, and was rewarded with the face that told her he was getting a machine or voice mail.  
  
"Faith, it's me," Bosco said into the phone. "I, uh... just wanted to let you know that I'm sprung from the hospital and I'm on my way to Trisha's. Um, hope I caught you before you left. Talk to you soon. Bye," he said, hanging up.  
  
"Man, I hate talking to machines," he said, walking over to the wheelchair and taking a seat.  
  
"Yes, dear," Trisha said, giving a look to the orderly.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
"We got a call from the Morgue. Apparently, this Linda Watkins will be claiming Peterson's body in the next couple of days. Says she's taking care of a sick friend right now," one of the detectives reported to Dave Thompson.  
  
"She's just a regular do-gooder, isn't she," Thompson said sarcastically. "Any luck on getting a location on her yet?"  
  
"Not yet. I've tried calling the cell phone number again and keep getting a wrong number. I ran the number and it comes back to a Trisha Miller. She's getting pretty ticked at getting the calls - says she's been getting calls from a morgue and it's freaking her out," the young detective reported.  
  
"I'll bet. It'd sure freak me out," said Carol, bringing in some phone messages for the detectives.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Can I help you, Sir?" asked the receptionist at the Morgue.  
  
"Yes, I'm here to pick up Peterson," said the elderly man, looking down at his paperwork.  
  
"Full name?" asked the bored receptionist.  
  
"Um..., Paul. Paul Richard Peterson," he answered.  
  
He watched her check through her papers and find the name. "Here it is. Go ahead," she said, writing down the drawer number and handing it to him. She stood to follow him back as her phone rang. Turning to answer it, she said over her shoulder, "Go ahead and get started. I'll be right there."  
  
"No problem. Take your time. I know the drill," he answered her and continued back as she buzzed him through the door.  
  
By the time she finished talking to the very emotional relative of a new arrival and got back to the man picking up Peterson's body, he had him already out the back door and into his hearse. She checked to see that the right drawer had been accessed and they each signed the proper paperwork. She told him goodnight and made sure that the rear door, where the funeral homes load the bodies into their hearses, was secured before returning to her desk out front.  
  
As she sat down to complete the paperwork on the transfer, she realized that she hadn't gotten the name of the funeral home for the records.  
  
"Dammit!" she swore to herself and then relaxed as she remembered that the woman handling his affairs had called to say who was coming in to get the body. She flipped through her notes and, with some relief, found it and filled in what she didn't know was a false name.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
TBC... 


	54. Chapter 54

Revenge  
  
Chapter 54  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"How you doing? You need to stop and rest?" Trisha asked him as she noticed the grimace on his face and a fine film of sweat along his brow.  
  
"Just for a minute, okay?" he asked, out of breath. She helped him to sit on the step outside of her apartment and sat alongside him, a hand gently rubbing his back.  
  
"Take as long as you need," she told him, catching her breath as well.   
  
"I didn't realize how out of shape I was," he told her, embarrassed.  
  
"You are not out of shape, Maurice. You've been through a lot and your body needs to rejuvenate," she assured him, catching site of that look he had that always got to her. He never even knew it got to her and she couldn't really describe it. It was just a quick glance of vulnerability and it took her breath away every time. She looked at him and hoped that their baby would look just like him.  
  
"Hey," he repeated, breaking her out of her daydream. "You okay?"  
  
"What? Yeah. I'm fine. Ready to try again?" she said, flustered. She started to stand up, but he took hold of her arm and pulled her back down.  
  
"What?" she said, fearing that he'd done too much and shouldn't have left the hospital this soon.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked her, concern all over his face.  
  
"Me? I'm fine," she assured him, laughing off his concern.  
  
"What happened the other day? When you passed out. You haven't looked good for the last few days. I'm worried about you," he told her, putting a hand on her cheek and preventing her from looking away from him.  
  
"Maurice," she said, covering his hand with hers. "I'm fine. I told you what the doctor said. I'm just run down. As a matter of fact, they did blood work when I was in the ER and told me I'm anemic," she said, telling him only part of the truth. "In fact, I have a prescription for vitamins and I have to eat things with more iron." He leaned over and kissed her.  
  
"You're sure?" he asked.  
  
"I'm sure. Now, c'mon. Let's get you upstairs," she said. "I'll even let you use the elevator this time," she teased, helping him to his feet and into the front door.  
  
"Geez, you're all heart," he said, trying not to lean on her too much.  
  
As they made their way down the hallway after getting off the elevator, she pulled her keys out of her pocket. Opening the door, they paused in the doorway. "Okay, bed or couch?" she asked him.  
  
"Couch. I'm sick of beds," he told her. They took a few steps and he flopped down on the couch as he lost his balance. He landed hard and drew in a sharp breath.  
  
"Maurice! Are you alright?" Trisha asked him.  
  
"I'm fine. I just moved too fast," he told her, pulling her down alongside him. They both sat for a few minutes, regrouping.  
  
"I missed you," he said, putting his hand on her thigh.  
  
"Why, Maurice Boscorelli. Are you getting ornery?" Trisha said as he moved his hand higher on her leg.  
  
"Must be the antibiotics," he said, pulling her closer to him.  
  
"More like the lack of oxygen to your brain after that hike from the car," she teased him, making him laugh.  
  
"Could be," he sighed. "Could be."  
  
"Tired?" she asked as he leaned his head back against the couch.  
  
"A little," he answered and looked over at her. "Okay. A lot," he confessed.  
  
"Well, why don't you let me get you into the bedroom and while your taking a nap I can go to the pharmacy and get your prescriptions filled," she suggested.  
  
"Nah. You go ahead, but I'm gonna hang here on the couch, maybe catch a game. Those television stations in the hospital suck!" he noted.  
  
"Okay, but don't move off the couch. I don't want to have to worry about you falling or anything. You want me to call someone and have them come over?" she added as an afterthought as she stood up.  
  
"What, like a babysitter? No thanks," he said. "I promise I'll be good. Don't forget to get your vitamins too," he reminded her. He thought for a moment as he watched her go to the front door and open it.  
  
"Vitamins and more iron, eh? Faith had to do that when she was pregnant with Charlie," he told her. Just as she closed the door, he noticed a funny look on her face and his stomach jumped.   
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"I'd like to see Mr. Jarvis," Trisha requested to the man that had greeted her at the front door of the funeral home.  
  
"Is he expecting you, Ma'am?" the man asked.  
  
"Not really, but he knew I'd be stopping in at some point. My name is Linda Watkins. I'm here about the Peterson burial," she said, sadness once again enveloping her.  
  
"Very well, have a seatt right in here," he said, showing her to an office. "I'll tell Mr. Jarvis that you're here. It may take a couple of minutes. I think he's on the phone with another family."  
  
"That's fine. Thank you," Trisha said.  
  
She looked around the room, noticing the framed certificates and licenses. Finally, settling into a leather chair across the desk from where she assumed Mr. Jarvis sat, she waited only another couple of minutes when an elderly, white-haired man came in.  
  
"So sorry to keep you waiting Ms. Watkins," Mr. Jarvis said, taking her hand and giving her his look of sympathy at her loss.  
  
"No problem. Thanks for seeing me. Have you retrieved my..., friend's remains yet?" she asked him.  
  
"Yes, just this morning. Now, I understand that you don't wish any wake or funeral services, just the burial arrangements. Is that correct?" he asked, pulling out a notepad to write down any requests she may have.  
  
"Yes. I don't think that, under the circumstances of his death, anyone would want to attend any services. He doesn't have any surviving family anyway," she added.  
  
"Very well. Then, do you have a cemetery and plot chosen for him, or do you need me to take care of that as well?" the man asked.  
  
"Um, I guess I'd need you to take care of that as well," she said. "I was wondering, Mr. Jarvis, if it would be possible to have a moment with him - you know, to say good-bye?" she asked.  
  
"Well, of course. But, I'm afraid that he's down in our preparatory room right now. If you'd like to come back, I'm sure that we can have him brought upstairs in more appropriate surroundings. You know, I'm sure, that he was burned very badly in the fire, so you probably won't want to view him," he said, trying to be as delicate as possible.  
  
Trisha's breath caught. She'd never really thought about that before - that he was burned alive - even though he may have been unconscious - he was still alive.   
  
"Are you alright, Ms. Watkins?" Mr. Jarvis asked, noticing the paleness of her face.  
  
She swallowed hard. "Yes. I understand. You don't need to prepare him, or bring him upstairs. The room you have him in is fine. I don't need to see him, just to say 'good-bye.' You understand," she said, gripping her pocketbook strap more tightly.  
  
"Absolutely," he answered. "Would you like to take care of the paperwork and such first, or should I take you to him now?"  
  
"Um, we can finish up here first," she answered, opening her pocketbook and taking out the envelope of money she'd withdrawn from her bank on the way over.  
  
"Very well. Just let me get the prices and total this up for you," he said, standing up and taking a folder out of the file cabinet behind him. "I'm assuming that you want just the standard casket? Or would you like him cremated and put in a standard urn?" he asked, turning around with the folder and taking his seat again.  
  
"Um, whatever you think is best," she said, swallowing hard again as she tried to keep her emotions in check.  
  
"Very well, then," he said, using his adding machine. He gave her the total and was slightly taken aback when she produced the full amount in cash.  
  
"I hope that's alright. I went to my bank on the way over," she said, noticing the look she'd received. "And, I trust, as I said, that this will remain confidential? I just don't want the publicity. You understand," she said.  
  
"Absolutely, Ms. Watkins. I understand completely," he said, remembering the stories in the paper surrounding the deceased's crimes. "Now that we've completed this, are you ready to go downstairs?" he asked, standing up.  
  
"Yes, I suppose I am," Trisha answered, standing and feeling her legs shake. She took a moment and then, offering up a false smile said, "I'm ready."  
  
She followed Mr. Jarvis to the stairs and down into the basement area of the funeral home. "Okay, he's just in here. Let me just check to make sure that everything's all set and then I'll come back out and get you, alright?"  
  
Trisha nodded and watched Mr. Jarvis disappear behind a door. A moment later, he came back out. "Ready?" he said, taking her arm at the elbow and guiding her in.  
  
Her nose was assaulted by the odor first and then she took in the tools and cabinets in her surroundings. She looked at the covered body that lay on the steel table and reached out to steady herself on Mr. Jarvis' arm.  
  
"Okay?" he asked after a moment, ready to get her out of the building before she passed out right there.  
  
"Could I..., um..., have just a moment?" she managed to get out.  
  
"You're sure?" he asked with concern. She nodded. "Alright. I'll be just outside when you're ready," he said, leaving her and closing the door behind him.  
  
Trisha stood for a moment and then gradually took a few steps toward the table where her stepbrother lay. Tears escaped down her cheeks as she drew in a ragged breath, trying to hold on to the last of her emotions. Unsuccessful, her tears continued to escape and soft sobs shook her shoulders. "Paul," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to help you. Sorry that I let everything go so far. I've fallen in love with him, Paul. I'm sorry, but I can't help it. He makes me happy and we're going to have a baby," she said through her tears. She leaned forward, supporting herself on the edge of the table. Against her better judgement, she was unable to fight the urge to look at him one last time and thank him for taking care of her as she grew up.   
  
She pulled the cover back from his face and drew in a sharp breath. There was some soot on his face, but overall, it remained untouched by the flames and she was thankful for that. She could tell that just below his shoulders was where the burned tissue was and she didn't pull the cover back any further. She put a hand on his cold cheek and leaned down to give him a kiss good-bye. "I love you, Paul. I'm so sorry," she said, putting the cover back and turning to leave the room.  
  
Mr. Jarvis was waiting on the other side of the door and was immediately concerned by the look on her face and lack of color in her cheeks. "Ms. Watkins, are you alright?" he asked, taking hold of her at the elbow again.  
  
"Yes. I'm sorry. It just got to me. I'm sorry," she apologized, trying to gather herself.  
  
"Quite understandable, dear," he said. "Let me show you back upstairs." He led her back up the stairs and walked out with her to the Bosco's car. After helping her into the car, he said, "I'll be in touch with you when everything's been completed and let you know where he is buried. You'll be okay to get home?"  
  
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Jarvis. You're very kind," Trish said, shaking the man's hand.  
  
"I'll be in touch," he said, releasing her hand and watching her drive away.  
  
Trisha drove to the corner, out of sight of the old man, and pulled to the curb. There, she let the rest of her sobs out and, when she was finished, she drove to the pharmacy to get Bosco's prescriptions, as well as her own, filled.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
She walked into the apartment and looked at the couch, expecting to see Maurice asleep with the remote in his hand. She was startled when she saw that he wasn't there.  
  
She rushed to the back of the apartment to see if he'd gone into the bedroom and he wasn't there either. She rushed back up the hallway, checking in the bathroom to see if he was in there, but he wasn't.  
  
She came out of the hallway and stopped in her tracks when she saw him sitting at the table near the bookshelves just staring back at her with a sad and shocked look on his face. Her eyes moved from his face to the book he was looking at and her stomach flipped as she realized that the photo album with her stepbrother that she'd been looking through a few days ago was still on the table. Paul's face was staring up at Maurice.  
  
"What the hell is this?" came the question from Bosco in almost a whisper.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	55. Chapter 55

Revenge  
  
Chapter 55  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Faith walked into the empty hospital room to find the room cleaned and made up for the next patient. She walked out into the hallway and saw Bosco's nurse coming toward her.  
  
"Hey, Marie. Where's Bosco?" she asked her as the nurse reached her.  
  
"He was discharged this morning. He's doing really well," the nurse told her.  
  
"Oh," Faith said with surprise. "Thanks. Bye," she said as the nurse said good-bye and walked down the hallway.  
  
"Wow," Faith said out loud. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Bosco's number. Getting the machine, she left a message as she remembered that he was going to be staying at Trisha's. She had that number written down at home, so she called hoping that Emily would be home from school.  
  
"Hey, Em," Faith said, as her call was answered. "How was school today?"  
  
She listened as Emily told her the gossip from the day. "Okay. Charlie's home?"  
  
"Okay, well get going on homework and I'll be home in a little bit. Hey, Em. Look on the pad of paper next to the phone and see if the number for Bosco's girlfriend, Trisha, is still there," she asked. Emily read off the number to her and then reminded Faith that she wanted to go to the high school football game tonight. "Yeah, I know - there's a football game tonight, but you don't go if homework isn't completely done," Faith warned and was rewarded with an exaggerated response. She hung up the phone, laughing to herself at her daughter's dramatics.  
  
She dialed the number and after a few rings, the phone was answered by Bosco. "Hey! How are you?" she asked him, noticing that he sounded tired - or something.  
  
"I'm okay," he answered quietly.  
  
"Oh, well, is it okay if I come over for a few minutes? I wanted to see how you were doing and Charlie drew you a picture. I also need to ask you something," she said.  
  
"Yeah, sure," he said, giving her the address and apartment number.  
  
"Bos? You sure you're up to a visit, because if you're too tired that's okay," Faith told him.  
  
"Nah. It's fine. As a matter of fact, I want you to come over," he said, trying to sound brighter as he looked at the book that lay on the table in front of him, still trying to make sense out of it.  
  
"Okay. I'll see you in a few minutes. You need anything while I'm on my way?" she asked him.  
  
"No. Trisha's at the pharmacy now. She'll be home soon," he said, quiet again.  
  
"Okay," she said, wondering what was going on. "Bos, you're sure you're okay?"  
  
"Yeah, Faith. I'm fine. See you in a bit," he said, hanging up the phone and staring back at the picture of the man that had beaten, tortured and almost killed him and Faith.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*  
  
Bosco heard the lock on the door open and then swing open. He watched Trisha look at the couch, get a panicked look on her face and then charge down the hallway - no doubt in search of him to make sure that he was okay. When she didn't find him in the bedroom, she came back up the hallway. He saw the look on her face when she saw him sitting at the table, the photo album open in front of him. She dropped the bag of medication on the floor, unaware that she'd done so.  
  
He looked at the book and then back to Trisha, trying unsuccessfully to hide the confusion and hurt he was feeling. He saw her pale at the sight of him. "What the hell is this?" he asked her in almost a whisper, unable to make the words come out any louder.  
  
"Maurice?" she said, tears coming to her eyes. She was unable to move her feet and she leaned against the corner of the hallway wall for support. "Are you alright?"  
  
Bosco shook his head, the sick feeling in his stomach worsening. "You knew this guy?" he asked, glancing at the photo album and then back to Trisha, disbelief all over his face. "I don't understand," he said, slowly standing up.  
  
"Maurice," Trisha repeated, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I...," she said, unable to make any words come out. He walked toward her and reached her just as her knees buckled. He reached out and grabbed onto her so she didn't fall.  
  
"Trish. I need to know what this guy was to you," he said, this time feeling tears sting his eyes.  
  
He helped her over to the chair and she sat down, wringing her hands from nervousness.  
  
"I'm sorry, Maurice. I'm so sorry," she said, unable to go on.  
  
Bosco lowered himself into the chair across from her, still unable to comprehend what was going on. "You're sorry," was all he said, a hardness to his voice - the wall going back up around himself. It had taken her so long to get that wall down and only a matter of moments for it to build back up.  
  
"I'll explain it all," Trisha told him, resignation in her voice. "But first, it's time for your medicine," she said, standing up and walking to where she'd dropped the bag and then toward the kitchen, feeling his eyes on her as she moved.  
  
"No. I don't want the pain pill. It makes me tired and I don't want to sleep right now," he said sharply.  
  
"Okay, just the antibiotic then," she said, returning with a glass of water and the pill. She noticed that he took the glass and pill from her, careful not to touch her in the process. A shiver ran through her at the coldness in the room. He took the pill and put the glass down on the table alongside his chair.  
  
She stood over him and he wouldn't look up at her. She reached out and put a hand on the top of his head in a show of affection. He moved away from her and she felt her heart break. She sat across from him again and waited for him to speak.  
  
"Who was he?" he asked again, this time looking her in the eye. She saw the distrust in his eyes.  
  
"I love you, Maurice. Please know that first," she said.  
  
"Who - was - he?" he repeated in measured words.  
  
"He's..., he was my stepbrother," she said quietly. "He was much older than me and raised me after my mother was killed. She was killed by a drunk driver. I told you that before. What I didn't tell you is that my stepfather was driving the car that she was in. He was drunk and he crashed the car. I was in the backseat and somehow I didn't get hurt. I remember the heavy rain on the roof of the car as I sat in the dark, waiting for someone to come. I listened to them both take their last breaths," she said, crying openly now at the memory.  
  
Bosco wanted to reach out to her, the pain she was feeling so real. But, something prevented him.  
  
"Then I saw headlights and it was my stepbrother, Paul. He was coming home from work and passed the accident. He recognized the car. He tried to help them, but knew it was too late. He took me out of the car and put me in his car as the police arrived. He didn't want me to have to be in the middle of an investigation, so he told them who they were and what had probably happened. He took care of me from then on. He raised me, made sure I had anything I ever needed or wanted. But, he had a drinking problem of his own. He couldn't escape the curse of being an alcoholic. He came to believe that it was hereditary and no matter what I tried to do, I couldn't help him," she relayed, stopping to see if he had any questions so far. It hurt her to look into his eyes, but she felt she deserved that hurt.   
  
She continued, her voice very quiet. "Then he met his wife and they had two little girls of their own. I was 15 then and we were one big happy family. But, the drinking started again. None of us knew why - maybe it WAS hereditary. I don't know, but we couldn't stop him. It would get really bad and then improve. We hoped each time it improved, that it'd last - but it never did. And then, it happened. The accident - the one with you and Faith. Almost his whole family was wiped out and he had only himself to blame. He couldn't accept that. He was never the same after that. He couldn't let go of it," she said.  
  
Bosco stood up and walked around the room, both to try and get the stiffness out of his body and to try to absorb what she was telling him. She watched him.  
  
"Do you want to rest? I'll tell you the whole thing, I swear, but I don't want you to overdo it," Trisha said, standing and wanting to go to him, but she knew he didn't want to be near her right now. He'd probably never want to be near her again.  
  
He only shook his head. "Go on," he told her, looking in her direction, but unable to look her in the eye.  
  
She took in a deep breath and continued. "He wouldn't let go of it. It just festered and then this plan began to take shape. I didn't know anything about it at first, but then he started confiding in me - telling me he needed my help. So, I agreed. I thought maybe if he started, he'd realize that it was crazy - that he was going too far. But, it just snowballed. He made me meet you, try to get close to you," she said, starting to sob.  
  
"Only, I fell in love with you. Maurice, I do love you with all my heart. I'm sorry for all of it. I thought I could stop it. I didn't know he'd gone so far, I swear," she said through her tears. There was a knock on the door and they both jumped.  
  
Trisha looked at him. "That's Faith," he said, almost in a whisper. Trisha went down the hallway to the bedroom, not wanting Faith to see her so upset. She listened as Bosco went to the door and opened it.  
  
"C'mon in," he said so quietly Trisha could barely hear him.  
  
"Bos? What is it?" Faith asked, seeing the look on his face. She knew instantly that it was more than being tired or in pain. She'd seen him like THAT plenty of times. This was something more - much more.  
  
"Can you give me a ride over to my place? I want to stay there tonight," he said.  
  
"Of course, but who's going to be with you? You can't be by yourself yet. Where's Trisha, Bosco?" Faith asked, touching his shoulder.   
  
Bosco walked away from her touch, not unnoticed by Faith. "She's lying down. She still doesn't feel well. She's afraid I'll catch whatever she's got," he liked. "I called my Mom. She's coming over right after work," he said, looking around the room for his coat and finding it on the back of the chair where his whole world seemed to come apart. He walked over slowly and took it, reaching over and closing the photo album at the same time.  
  
"Are you sure?" Faith said. "Did you tell Trisha that you were going? Maybe I should check on her," she offered.  
  
"No," Bosco said. "She knows I'm going. I told her I'd have you drive me home. Can you grab that bag," he said, indicating the bag on the counter. "It has my medicine in it. I just want to go home, take a pain pill, and get some rest," he finished, walking toward the door.  
  
"Okay - let's go," Faith said, picking up the bag and following him out, helping him to her car.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
"This says you should take this with food. Did you have dinner yet?" she asked him as he walked over and sat on the couch. He shook his head no.   
  
"I'm not hungry," he said.  
  
"Well, how about some soup. Just something in your stomach. You don't want to to take this pain pill and start throwing up with that stomach wound," she said, opening the cabinet and finding some chicken soup.  
  
"Yeah, whatever," he said.  
  
"You sure you're okay, Bos?" Faith said, opening the can and pouring it into a pan.  
  
"Great," he said without energy.  
  
"So, what time's your Mom coming over?"  
  
"After work - around 11:00," he answered, the pain from his wounds starting to take over the pain from the truth.  
  
Faith looked at her watch and realized how late it was. Emily wanted to go to the game and Fred was working overtime so it was up to her to get her there. She didn't want to let her down again. "Oh, damn!" she said.  
  
Bosco turned quickly, thinking that she'd burned herself or something. "You okay?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, I just.... I was supposed to bring Emily to the football game tonight. It starts in a half hour," she explained.  
  
"Go. I'll be fine. Tell Emily I said to have a good time," he said. "But, tell her to be careful. Don't let anyone take advantage of her."  
  
Faith gave him a puzzled look behind his back. "Well, the soup's done. I'll just get you a bowl and your medicine. You want to have it back in your room so you can lie down?"  
  
"Nah. I'll go to bed when Ma gets here. I'll just doze here on the couch and watch some TV," he said as she walked around to him with the soup, his medicine and a glass of water.  
  
"Okay. Bos, call me if you need anything before your Mom gets here, okay?" Faith said, worried about her partner. He nodded.  
  
"I'll be fine. Go take Em to the game," he said, waving her toward the door.  
  
"Okay, but call me if you need anything. It doesn't matter what time it is," Faith said, putting on her coat.  
  
"Thanks, Faith," he said, reaching for the bag with his medicine in it as Faith pulled the door shut behind her. She pushed the door open quickly and stuck her head in.  
  
"Hey, Detective Thompson wanted me to ask you if the name Linda Watkins meant anything to you - in connection with Peterson?" she asked him.  
  
He thought for a moment, the fatigue starting to take over him. "Nope. Doesn't sound familiar," he told her.  
  
"Okay. G'night," she said, pulling the door closed.  
  
Bosco reached into the bag and pulled out one of three bottles of medicine, not noticing that one of the bottles remaining in the bag had a label that read 'pre-natal vitamins.' He read the instructions for the pain pills - 'One capsule every four hours as needed, not to exceed three capsules in a 24-hour period.'  
  
He disregarded the instructions and took two capsules, washing it down with the water and eating some of the crackers that Faith had put on the plate beside his soup.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
TBC... 


	56. Chapter 56

Revenge  
  
Chapter 56  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Trisha emerged from her room as soon as she heard the apartment door close. She walked to the window and watched as Faith helped Bosco into her car. Just before Faith pulled away from the curb, Bosco looked up at the window and the sad look on his face almost broker her heart. She put her hand on the window pane as if to reach out to him, but Faith pulled away. Trisha's gaze followed the car as it made it to the corner and then out of sight. She wandered around the apartment a little and ended up at the table where the photo album still lay. She flipped it open, new tears forming.  
  
"Maurice, I'm so sorry," she said quietly through her tears, closing the book and replacing it on the shelf. She walked to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea and saw the receipt from the pharmacy on the counter, next to where the bag of medication was. She looked around quickly to see if the bag had been moved and then realized that he must have taken it with him. How long before he noticed the bottle of vitamins with her name on them.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*  
  
Bosco was sleeping soundly on the couch, having taken two of the potent pain pills. He didn't hear the banging on the door or the shouting from the other side of the door.   
  
Faith had run into Bosco's mother as she stopped at the grocery store after bringing Emily to the football game. From talking with Faith, Rose had found out that Bosco was counting on her to come over to his place and stay with him after she'd gotten out of work, although she never heard that from him.  
  
Rose assumed he had called the bar and left a message with one of the employees and she'd never received it. She'd have to take care of that tomorrow. Suppose she hadn't run into Faith and no one stayed with him? Now, she was worried that something had happened to him while he was alone and he was lying, unconscious, on the floor of his apartment.  
  
"Maurice!" she called again, searching through her purse for the key he'd given her a long time ago. Finally, she dug the key out and put it into the lock. She opened the door and saw him lying on the couch, sound asleep in an awkward position, the remote for the television lying on his chest, rising and falling with each breath he took. Fear shot through her at the sight, thinking that her mental image while on the outside of the door was right all along.  
  
She closed the door behind her and rushed over to him. She didn't want to startle him, but couldn't understand why he didn't hear her banging on the door if he was so close to it.  
  
She reached out and touched his shoulder, shaking him gently as she called to him. "Maurice, wake up. Maurice?" she said, noticing his brow wrinkle slightly.   
  
"Maurice," she called again, louder, shaking him a little harder this time.   
  
"Wha...? Ma?" he said groggily as he opened his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, Ma!" she answered, breathing a sigh of relief. "You scared the hell out of me! Are you alright?"  
  
He tried to sit up, but was unable to. The pills were pretty strong and his arms and legs felt very heavy. He had a hard time trying to clear the cobwebs of sleep from his brain. "Yeah, just beat," he answered, finally giving up trying to sit up by himself and letting Rose help him. "I probably should've only taken one of those pills," he thought to himself.  
  
"I've been banging on the door out there. I can't believe you didn't hear me?" she said, noticing the untouched soup on the coffee table in front of him. "Have you eaten anything?"  
  
"Um, no," he said, still trying to wake up fully. "Not hungry," he added as he stood up to stretch, feeling the soreness caused by the odd position he'd fallen asleep in.  
  
Rose carried the cold soup to the kitchen. "Do you want me to warm this up? You really should try to eat something. You're never going to get your strength back if you don't eat," she said, putting the bowl of soup in the microwave without waiting for an answer from him.  
  
"What time is it?" Bosco asked, wondering how his mother had found out he was at his apartment. "What're you doing here, Ma?"  
  
"It's almost midnight," she answered and Bosco calculated that he'd been sleeping for about four hours. He tuned back into Rose as she continued. "I ran into Faith in the store. She said that I was supposed to be coming over here to take care of you tonight, although it was news to me. Who did you talk to when you called me at the bar, because I didn't get the message?"  
  
"Who.., what?" he said, trying to catch up to the conversation. "I didn't talk to anyone. I didn't call you at the bar. I just wanted to be alone," he said, sitting down at the kitchen table as Rose put the hot soup in front of him.  
  
Rose caught sight of his expression out of the corner of her eye as she turned to get him a drink from the refrigerator. "There's nothing in here," she said, exasperated. "How about some hot tea or some coffee?"  
  
"Tea's good," he answered, taking a spoonful of soup.  
  
"So, what's wrong, Maurice?" Rose asked him as she went about making a cup of tea for both of them.  
  
"What's wrong?!" he asked, grumpily. "I got kidnapped, beaten and tortured, and you're asking me what's wrong?"  
  
"That's old news, Maurice. I'm talking about what happened today? I thought you were going to be staying with Trisha?" she replied.  
  
"I was...," he said, pausing, unsure of whether he wanted to get into this with his mother tonight.  
  
"But...?" she prodded.  
  
"Trisha wasn't feeling good. I was worried about her not getting enough rest while I was there, so I came here to get out of her hair," he lied.  
  
Rose knew it was probably more than that, but didn't want to push her son too hard. She knew it would only make him more irritable and closed-mouthed. "Uh huh," she said as she walked into the living room area to straighten up. Bosco took another spoonful of his soup, rolling his eyes as he knew his mother didn't believe him.  
  
"We're having some problems," he finally said.  
  
Rose picked up the bag of medications off the coffee table, looking to see if the contents were garbage or should be kept. "Anything I can help with?" she asked, pulling the three bottles out of the bag.  
  
"She was hiding something from me. I don't know if I can trust her anymore. I don't even know if I really know her," he said quietly.  
  
Rose almost dropped everything in her hands as she read the labels of the bottles. "She was keeping this from you?" Rose asked, holding up the bottle of vitamins. Bosco turned slowly so as not to hurt himself to look at what his mother was referring to.  
  
"That's just my medicine. I think I'm due for one of them," he answered, turning back around without catching what she was referring to.  
  
"So, when did you start taking these?" she asked, walking over to him and putting the bottle on the table in front of him.  
  
Without looking at the bottle, he said, "They gave them to me at the hospital. One for pain and one is antibiotics."  
  
Rose reached over and tapped the bottle on the table with her fingernail. "Anything you want to tell me about this one?"  
  
Bosco looked at the bottle and only saw the word 'vitamins'. "Oh, those are Trisha's. She must've left them in the bag," he said. He then went on to explain to Rose about how Trisha had passed out at the hospital and the fact that the doctor told her she was anemic and should take these vitamins and eat better.  
  
He looked up at his mother when he'd finished to see a funny look on her face. "Maurice," she said, picking up the bottle. She held the bottle out to him and pointed to the words on the bottle. "This says pre-natal vitamins. You know what that means don't you?"  
  
"Pre-na...," he repeated, the words suddenly sinking in. He dropped the spoon he was holding into the bowl, making a mess on the table when it caused the splash.  
  
"Maurice? Are you alright?" Rose asked, amused at the shocked look and pale complexion on her son's face.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	57. Chapter 57

Revenge  
  
Chapter 57  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bosco just looked at the expression on his mother's face. He'd just finished telling her the whole story - as he knew it. He told her how the man that had kidnapped, tortured and then tried to kill not only him, but Faith, was the brother of the woman who he thought he had a chance at a future with - the mother of his child - if it was his child. She'd lied about so many other things, how could he know for sure that the child she was supposedly carrying was his. If she was so much in love with him and thought he loved her too, how could she keep the fact that she was pregnant with his child a secret from him?  
  
"Oh my God," Rose said finally, putting a hand over her son's as they sat at the table, their now-cold cups of tea in front of them. "How could she have let that happen to you?" Rose asked, unable to fathom how someone could knowingly let something like that happen to another human being - let alone someone they proclaimed to love.  
  
Bosco looked down at his cup of tea, next to his now-empty bowl of soup and just barely shook his head. "I don't know, Ma," was all he could manage. He reached over and picked up the bottle of vitamins that remained on the table. He shook it and gave a half-hearted laugh at the sound of the pills against the plastic bottle resembling the sound of a baby rattle. He drew in a deep breath to regain himself as a tear began to form in his eye as he saw the future that he thought he'd finally have fading away. He placed the bottle soundlessly on the table and stood up.   
  
"Ma, you can go home," he told her, walking over to empty his cup in the sink.  
  
"No. I'm staying here with you, Maurice?" Rose asked him, standing up herself.  
  
"I'm fine. I'll be fine," he said, grimacing at the pain in his side and shoulder as he worked his injured shoulder in an attempt to prevent it from getting too stiff.  
  
"Do you want some of your medicine? It'll probably help you get some rest too," Rose told him.  
  
He looked at the clock and wasn't sure if he should take another pill. He'd taken two of them before and he'd slept soundly. Then again, maybe he should take a couple more - that way he could sleep through the pain that no medicine could take away.  
  
"Yeah, I probably should," he said, walking into the kitchen and taking two more pills out of the bottle. He filled the cup in the sink with water and washed the two pills down. He put the cup back into the sink and walked out to the living room, standing in the middle of the floor.  
  
Rose looked at her son. She'd never seen him look so lost and it broke her heart. She half-wanted to go over to Trisha's apartment and get to the bottom of things. She wanted to make things better for her son. He'd been through so much throughout his whole life. She thought he'd finally found someone to share his life with. She'd seen the two of them together. They truly loved each other, she felt. There's got to be a way to get them through this. God knows she'd made enough stupid mistakes in her life. Who's to say that Trisha hadn't just been a victim of her own stepbrother - that he hadn't manipulated her from day one after their parents had died, and in particular, after he seemed to have snapped when he'd killed his own wife and children. There was definitely a chance of that.   
  
She walked over to where Bosco stood and wrapped her arms around him, careful not to hug him too tightly.  
  
"Maurice. I wish I could make this all better for you. I really do. Why don't you get a good night's sleep and we'll talk again in the morning when you're fresher and rested," she suggested. "C'mon. I'll tuck you in like I used to when you were a little boy," she teased him, getting a small smile from him.  
  
"Ma. Go home and get a good night's sleep in your own apartment, where you can be comfortable. I'll be fine. You can come over in the morning and wait on me all you want. I'm just gonna go to bed. Hell, you know how hard it was to wake me up before. I'll probably sleep right through the night," he told her.  
  
"I don't know," she said, not sure if she should leave him alone.  
  
"Ma. I'm not 8 years old anymore. I can take care of myself. I promise. I'll be fine. Go home," he said, kissing her on the cheek.  
  
"Okay, but you have to call me if you need anything. I'm only five minutes away," she said, shaking a finger at him. She knew that arguing with him wouldn't do him any good. He always liked to be alone - especially when he was hurting.  
  
"I promise," he said, following her to the door and helping her put her coat back on.   
  
She turned and gave him another hug. "Call me. I mean it," she ordered.  
  
"You'll be the first," he assured her. He grabbed his keys off the table near the door. "I'll walk you down and get you a cab," he said, following her out the door. Standing on the curb, he drew in the cool night air. He flagged down a cab and despite Rose's protests, he put some money in the cabdriver's hand and gave him the address. He walked back into his building. As he entered his apartment and closed and locked the door behind him, he heard the sound of the answering machine resetting. He walked over to the machine and pushed the play button and listened as Trisha's voice filled the queit room.  
  
"Hi, Maurice. It's me. I just wanted to make sure you were okay - not doing too much. Are you there? Please pick up. I'm worried about you. You aren't alone are you?" she asked, her voice cracking as she tried to hold back the tears.  
  
"Maurice? Please? Please talk to me," she said, waiting and hoping for him to pick up the phone. He just stared at the phone, the pain from her deceit cutting into him.  
  
After a moment, she must've realized that he either wasn't there or wasn't going to pick up the phone - more likely the latter. "I do love you, Maurice," she said finally, hanging up.  
  
Bosco continued to watch the message light on the machine flash and then walked down the hallway to go to bed. He fell asleep almost instantly, the effects of the other pills no doubt continuing to make him sleepy. He hoped that he could sleep the night.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	58. Chapter 58

Revenge  
  
Chapter 58  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bosco awakened to the sound of a baby softly cooing. He lay in the bed, eyes closed, just listening to the sounds of contentment through the baby monitor alongside the bed. Then he heard the soft sound of Trisha gently talking to their child, telling him what the events of the day would be.  
  
Suddenly, the sound of a ringing telephone became louder and he opened his eyes, realizing that he'd been dreaming. The answering machine in the living room picked up and he listened to the voice. He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the extension phone.  
  
"Hey," he said to Faith, the sleep still in his voice. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was 8:30 in the morning.  
  
"Hey, yourself. How're you doing?" Faith asked cheerfully.  
  
"Um..., not sure yet," he grunted, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, trying to shake the memory of the dream. "I just woke up."  
  
"Did I wake you up? Sorry," she said.  
  
"It's okay. I needed to wake up anyway," he said, remembering the dream he'd been having. "Weird dream," he explained.  
  
"Oh. Well, I uh..., got a call from Trisha early this morning, Bos," Faith started and Bosco's stomach tightened. "How much does she know?" he thought to himself.  
  
When she didn't receive a response, Faith continued, "She's pretty upset. She said you guys had some kind of a disagreement last night, but didn't get into particulars. She said you wouldn't pick up the phone and she was worried about you - wanted to make sure you were alright. Your Mom came over last night, right, because that's what I told her?" Faith asked him.  
  
"Yeah, she was here. I sent her home though. No sense in her staying here and watching me sleep all night. She might as well have gotten some sleep too," he reasoned. "She's coming back this morning. In fact, I hear her knocking now," he lied, not wanting to get into this with Faith just yet.  
  
"Oh, well, okay. I'll let you go then," she said, and then following up with, "Look, Bos. I don't know what happened and if it's none of my business I'll respect that, but if you want to talk about it, you know I'm here, right?"  
  
"Yup," he said. "I just can't right now, okay?"  
  
"No problem. Whenever," she offered again before hanging up.  
  
"Thanks, Faith," Bosco said, hanging up.  
  
Bosco dialed his mother's number and waited for her to answer. "Ma, did I wake you up?" he asked, suddenly remembering how early it was.  
  
"Maurice? Are you alright?" Rose asked, instantly awake.  
  
"Yeah. I just wanted to catch you before you left. I'm feeling a hundred percent better today. I'm just gonna hang out here and take it easy," he told her, not really wanting company.  
  
"Are you sure, Maurice? What about Trisha? You'll you have to talk to her - the sooner the better," Rose told him.  
  
"I know. I'll give her a call in a little while. I just want to hang here and think for a little while. I've got to get things straight in my head, you know?" he replied.  
  
"I know, but don't wait too long. She's probably upset and scared. Think hard about how you feel - people make mistakes and errors in judgement all the time. Just look at how many times I've screwed up, but you know that I love you and always will," she said, pausing to let what she said sink in. "I'm going to stop over later though, because you have nothing in your apartment to eat or drink. Any special requests?" she asked, lightening the tone.  
  
"Thanks, Ma. You know what I like. Just don't go overboard," he told her.  
  
"Call me if you need me and I'll see you in a little bit," she said, hanging up the phone.  
  
Bosco hung up and climbed slowly out of bed. Surprisingly, he did feel a lot better today - less sore and a little more flexible. He grabbed some clean clothes out of his room and headed in to take a quick shower, careful not to stand directly under the water and saturate his sutures.   
  
After coming out of the shower and shaving, Bosco decided that he'd worked up an appetite. He went into the kitchen and was rewarded with empty cabinets. He'd have to walk to the corner to get some breakfast, deciding that the fresh air might do him good. He grabbed his antibiotic and downed the pill, deciding that he didn't need the pain medication. He caught sight of the bottle of vitamins on the table and picked them up. Staring at them while he thought, he decided that even if it wasn't his kid and they never got things straightened out, she'd need the vitamins for the baby. He'd take them over to her.   
  
He grabbed his keys and walked out of the apartment. Upon walking down the front steps of his building he remembered that his car was still at Trisha's - Faith had driven him home yesterday. He continued his walk to the corner where he sat in the coffee shop and had a bagel and a cup of coffee as he watched the traffic go by.  
  
After awhile, he paid his bill and walked outside. He reached into his pocket and again felt the bottle of Trisha's vitamins. He walked to the curb and hailed a cab, giving the cabbie the address. About twenty minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of Trisha's building, alongside his car, and Bosco paid and got out. The cab drove off and he stood outside the apartment, looking up toward her window.  
  
Instead of going straight up to her apartment, he walked around the area a little to clear his head and get his thoughts straight. He thought long and hard about his feelings for her and still couldn't say that he didn't love her. There was just something about her and that, combined with what his mother had said about having to talk to her and try to work things out, made him finally decide to head up to the apartment and try to talk about things.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Trisha heard the knocking on the door. She was in the kitchen, on the floor, the pain she was feeling was so strong she hadn't been able to move. She couldn't get to the phone to call for help. She tried to call out to whoever was on the other side of the door for help, but as she started her voice was taken away by another sharp pain ripping through her abdomen. Unable to call out, but afraid that whoever was there would leave, she picked up the dish that she'd been holding when she fell to the floor and flung it toward the apartment door, hoping that it would draw attention.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*  
  
Bosco thought he heard noise from inside the apartment, despite having knocked a few times. "She probably doesn't want to talk to me," he thought to himself. He stood there for a moment, deciding whether he should try again or just come back another time when she'd had some time to think too. He turned to leave, reaching in his pocket for his extra set of car keys, but the sound of breaking glass caught his attention. It sounded like it had landed against the door.  
  
He turned back to the door and knocked again, this time calling out. "Trisha! It's me! Are you alright?"  
  
There was no answer. He thumped on the door again with his fist. "Trisha! Are you in there? Open the door!"  
  
Keeping his ear close to the door, he listened for a moment and heard the faint sound of her calling to him.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Trisha saw the plate land against the door and shatter. Then, she heard the sound of someone knocking on the door again and heard Maurice on the other side. Relief flooded over her as she realized she'd raised his attention. He was calling to her and she tried to answer him, but the pain was too great and it took her breath away. Finally, she was able to gather some breath to call to him.  
  
"Help!" came the weak sound of her voice and she hoped he heard her.  
  
She was rewarded with his answer to hold on. He tried the knob and found it to be locked. He threw his body against the door in an effort to break in, the pain from his own injuries not registering with him. He continued slamming into the door until the wood around the doorframe finally splintered and he was able to push into the apartment, breaking the chain on the door.  
  
Stepping over the broken dish, he called out to her. He heard a noise coming from the kitchen. "Trish!" he called, moving quickly to the kitchen area and finding her on the floor.  
  
"Trisha! Oh my God!" he yelled, bending down next to her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	59. Chapter 59

Revenge  
  
Chapter 59  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Maurice," Trisha said in almost a whisper. "It hurts so bad."  
  
"What? What is it? Is it the baby?" Bosco said, kneeling down on the floor next to her. He'd just called for an ambulance and they were waiting for someone to arrive. He took off his jacket and put it under her head as a pillow.  
  
Trisha nodded. "I think so. I'm so sorry, Maurice. Please...," she said, grabbing onto his arm and squeezing as another pain ripped through her and she passed out.  
  
"Trisha!" Bosco said, more as an order to wake up than anything else. He leaned over and gathered her up, ignoring the pain that lifting her caused him. He carried her to the couch and laid her down as he heard the ambulance approaching from outside. As he stood upright and reached for the blanket that was on the back of the couch, he saw the blood on his arms. "My God," he said, not knowing where the blood was coming from until he looked back at her and saw the stain on the lower part of her nightgown. "No, no, no," he said, more to himself than out loud as he heard a knock at the doorway.   
  
"Fire Department Paramedics," Doc announced as he and Kim looked and realized it was Bosco standing in front of them.  
  
Bosco turned to see Kim and Doc standing in the doorway. "Bos?" Doc said as they entered the apartment.  
  
"Doc! Help her. I think it's the baby," Bosco said, desperation in his voice. "Please," he added.  
  
"She's pregnant? How pregnant?" Doc asked him.  
  
"I don't know. I just found out. I don't know how far along she is," Bosco said, pacing back and forth behind Kim and Doc. He looked on as Kim began to get a set of vitals and Doc started an IV.  
  
"How long has she been unconscious?" Kim asked him.  
  
"What?" Bosco asked, suddenly feeling a little weak.  
  
"Bosco! How long has she been unconscious?" Kim repeated, getting his attention again as he sat down in the chair across from them.  
  
"Um..., just a couple of minutes. Right before you got here. I moved her from the floor in the kitchen. Was that the wrong thing to do?" he asked standing up, unsure if he'd caused more harm to her.  
  
"No, it's fine. But, show me where she was. I want to see if there's any blood on the floor so I can get an idea of how much blood she's lost," Doc said, standing up after securing the IV and oxygen mask. Kim was calling into the hospital for orders for medications and Bosco listened as he showed Doc to where Trisha was.  
  
"Mercy, we have an approximately 28 year old, unconscious, pregnant female, unknown gestation, but within the first trimester. Patient was found by family on the floor with pain and vaginal bleeding. We've got her on oxygen and an IV has been established. Vital signs are as follows...," Bosco heard as he moved out of earshot to show Doc where he'd found her.  
  
Doc looked and found only a small amount of blood on the floor. "Do you know how long she's been like this?" he asked Bosco.  
  
"Uh..., no," Bosco replied. "I knocked on the door and she didn't answer. I thought she wasn't home, but when I turned to leave I heard something crash against the wall," he said, indicating the broken dish near the front door. "I guess she threw it to get me to know that she needed help," he said. "Is she gonna be okay, Doc?" he asked him.  
  
"We're gonna do everything we can, but I'm not gonna lie. I'm not sure about the baby, Bos," Doc said, as he walked back into where Kim and Trisha were.  
  
"I didn't know until just last night," he said quietly, not loud enough for Doc to hear, as Faith came through the door.  
  
"Bos?" she said, walking in and over to her partner. She looked at him and saw a lost look in his eye. "What happened? I was at the House and I heard the ambulance get sent to this address."  
  
"I don't know. I found her like this. I think she's losing the baby," he said, looking at his partner.  
  
"The baby?! I didn't know she was pregnant?" Faith said, looking over at Trisha.  
  
"I didn't either - until last night," he said, bewildered.  
  
"Is that what your fight was about?" Faith asked as they watched Doc and Kim prepare Trisha for transport to the hospital.  
  
"What...? No. It was something else. Oh God, Faith. I didn't know," he said and Faith put an arm on his back, rubbing his back in comfort.   
  
"It's okay. They'll get her to the hospital, Bos. It'll be okay," she encouraged. "What about you?" she asked, seeing some blood on his side.  
  
"I'm okay," he said, not taking his eyes off of Trisha.  
  
"No. You're bleeding, Bos," she said, pulling at the side of his shirt to show him.  
  
"Um..., I'm okay," he said absently, as he saw Trisha's eyes flutter open momentarily. He moved over to her side.  
  
"Trisha?" he said quietly next to her ear. "I'm here. You're gonna be okay, you hear me?" he said to her. "Just hand on. I'm right here with you," he said.  
  
"We've got to move, Bos," Kim said, starting to move the stretcher toward the door. "You riding with us or Faith?"  
  
"You," he said, looking over at Faith.  
  
"Go. I'll lock up and meet you at the hospital," Faith told him. "Doc, he's bleeding too. Have someone check him over when you get to Mercy," she said.  
  
"What?" Doc said, looking at Bosco for the first time and seeing the growing stain on his side and one on his shoulder. "Yeah, okay. Bos, let's go," Doc said, pulling up Bosco's shirt to take a quick look as they walked toward the door.. "Looks like you just pulled some stitches loose," he told him, but Bosco didn't really hear him. He was busy concentrating on Trisha and the fact that he might very well be losing his unborn child.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	60. Chapter 60

Revenge  
  
Chapter 60  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Faith cleaned up the broken glass and the blood that was on the kitchen floor. She picked up Bosoc's jacket, the bottle of pre-natal vitamins falling from the pocket. She set them on the counter and checked one more time to make sure everything was turned off. Satisfied that everything was okay, she pulled the door of the apartment shut behind her and headed over to the hospital.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Bosco, come in here," Kim said a second time, taking hold of his arm. He was standing alongside Trisha's stretcher in the ER. The nurse wanted to get his wounds looked at.  
  
"No. I wanna stay here," he said. Finally, the nurse told Kim that he could use the bed next to Trisha's and Kim got him to sit on the edge of the bed.  
  
"Is there anyone you want me to call?" Kim offered.  
  
"No. No one," Bosco said, thinking of her now-dead stepbrother - the only family she'd had left. "There's just me," he said, thinking of how alone she must've felt when he left last night.  
  
"Okay, well Faith will be here soon. Here, lie back so the nurse can take a look at your stitches," he said, gently pushing him back on the stretcher. He lay back, but made sure that he could still see Trisha. She was still unconscious, the doctor and nurses moving around her. Someone wheeled in an ultrasound machine and Bosco watched while they set it up.  
  
He flinched when the nurse touched his wounds. "You need a couple of new stitches, but everything seems to be okay, Officer," the nurse told him. "One of the doctors will be over to stitch you up in a few minutes," she said, cleaning the wound up and setting up the suture kit so it was ready when the doctor came in.  
  
"Maurice," he heard Trisha say as she started to regain consciousness. He pushed the nurse's hand away and stood up and moved over next to Trisha. He took her hand.  
  
"I'm right here, Trish. Sshh. You're at Mercy. You're gonna be okay," he said soothingly.  
  
"The baby?" she asked, turning her head to look at him. "Is the baby okay?" Bosco looked up at the doctor who just shook his head.  
  
Bosco's eyes teared. "Just rest. We'll talk when you're stronger. Everything's gonna be okay," he said.   
  
Just the look on his face told her that she'd lost the baby. Tears began to fall, landing on the sheet alongside her head. "I'm so sorry, Maurice. I'm so sorry," she said.  
  
Bosco leaned over and put his forehead against her cheek. "Sshhh, it's okay. We'll get through this. Together," he said, as she fell asleep again, a tear still on her cheek. Bosco reached up and brushed the tear away with his thumb.  
  
"We'll be moving her up to a room in a little bit. They want to watch her overnight to make sure the bleeding stops. Why don't you let me fix your stitches so you're ready to go upstairs with her," the doctor said to him.  
  
"Thanks," he said, placing Trisha's hand on the bed and moving back over to the stretcher so the doctor could fix his wounds.  
  
"She'll be okay. The obstetrician said it was a miscarriage, but that she should be able to have more children," the doctor told him. "They'll know more when they examine her again upstairs. It's a good thing you found her when you did, she could have lost a lot more blood."  
  
"Uh huh," was all he could say as he watched her sleep. He hadn't found her soon enough as far as he was concerned. Maybe he could've helped her - prevented the miscarriage. How could he have just walked out on her like that last night!  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Ma," Bosco said into the phone when his mother picked up.  
  
"Where are you, Maurice? I was at your apartment and you didn't come home. I've been worried sick about you. I called Trisha's, but there was no answer there either," she said, the anxiousness she was feeling coming out as anger.  
  
"Ma!" he said, getting her attention.  
  
"I'm at the hospital. It's Trisha. She lost the baby, Ma," he said, a catch in his voice that didn't go unnoticed to his mother. Faith sat at the end of the hall, watching him on the phone, noticing that his shoulders were hunched forward - a sign that he was hurting, both physically and emotionally. She'd seen it before, it was just something he did that she picked up on, making her able to know how he was feeling even though he never really talked about it.  
  
"Oh, Maurcie. Oh no," Rose said. "I'll come over there. Are you at Mercy?"  
  
"No, Ma. It's okay. She's sleeping now. They're gonna keep her overnight. Faith's here. I just wanted to let you know where I was and what happened. I'm gonna stay here with her tonight. I'll call you in the morning," he said.  
  
"Okay. I'm sorry, Maurice. I love you," Rose said.  
  
"I know. Me too, Ma," Bosco said, hanging up the phone. He let his arm fall to his side and after a moment took a deep breath and walked back to where Faith was sitting.  
  
"You want anything?" she asked him. He shook his head no.  
  
"Nah. They're gonna move her upstairs in a couple of minutes. I'm just gonna sit with her. You know, in case she wakes up," he said.  
  
"Okay. I'll be at home if you need me. No matter what time it is, okay?" she said. Bosco nodded.  
  
"I'm sorry, Bos," she said, putting a hand on his arm. He turned to her and she leaned in to give him a hug.  
  
"Call me. I mean it," she said, turning to go.  
  
"I will. Thanks, Faith," he said as he watched her walk down the hall and around the corner as they started to move Trisha out into the hallway to bring her upstairs.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	61. Chapter 61 CONCLUSION

Revenge  
  
Chapter 61  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bosco called Faith after remembering about the name that Faith had asked him about. He explained the whole story to Faith, including the fact that he finally remembered the name Linda Watkins from when he'd answered Trisha's cell phone in the hospital. They talked about what had happened and the fact that Paul was Trisha's stepbrother and about Trisha telling him that she didn't have any idea that Paul was planning something this drastic. She didn't even know that he still had the house that they were found in.  
  
Faith called into Detective Thompson and explained everything that Bosco had told her. Detective Thompson called back on Faith's cell phone and told her that, after talking to the clerk at the morgue, Trisha had been the one that had claimed Peterson's body. They'd have to get the rest of the story from Trisha when tomorrow, but that they'd probably clear her of any wrongdoing in the kidnapping and assault on the two young boys, Bosco, and then on Faith.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Trisha awoke and tried to adjust her eyes to the dim light coming from the hallway. She was startled when she heard a noise from alongside the bed. She turned to see Bosco sleeping in the chair alongside her. She watched him for a few moments, smiling at the furrowing and unfurrowing of his brow as he slept. She always wondered what he was dreaming about when he slept. She loved to watch him sleep.  
  
A nurse quietly came into the room to check on her and saw that she was awake. "Hi," she whispered to Trisha, not wanting to wake up the man sleeping in the chair next to her. She assumed he was her husband, as he hadn't left her side since she'd arrived on the floor. A short while ago, the nurse had put a blanket over him and he hadn't even stirred. She did notice when he arrived with her patient that he had some old cuts and bruises and was walking stiffly.  
  
"How're you feeling?" the nurse asked Trisha as she checked the IV bag to see if it needed to be replaced.  
  
"Alright," Trisha answered in a whisper. "I think I have to use the bathroom though," she said, not sure if she was allowed to get out of bed.  
  
"Okay. Let me help you," the nurse said. "Now you'll still have some bleeding, but that's normal so don't be scared by that. Let me just turn on the bathroom light so you can see where you're going," she explained.  
  
As she turned on the light, it shone across the floor and room, falling across Bosco as well. The light woke him and he sat up quickly, not knowing what was happening.  
  
"Trisha?" he said, standing up and feeling the soreness of his body.  
  
"Sshh, it's okay. Sorry I woke you. I just have to use the bathroom. Go back to sleep," she said as the nurse helped her to the bathroom.  
  
He waited in the chair as the nurse waited outside the bathroom until she was ready to come out. "Okay?" the nurse asked, and Bosco stood up again. "Any dizziness or anything?"  
  
"No, I'm fine," she said, quietly, looking over at Bosco to see a concerned expression. The nurse led her back to the bed and she sat on the edge. "I'm okay here for a little bit. Thanks," she said.  
  
"Sure, just buzz if you need anything," the nurse said, walking out of the room.  
  
She looked at Bosco who was watching the nurse leave. He turned to look at her and she saw the sadness in his eyes.  
  
"Hey," she said.  
  
"You okay?" he asked her, taking a step toward her.  
  
"I guess I will be, or so they say," she said, sadness sweeping over her at the fact that she'd lost their baby - perhaps the only thing she'd have had left from their time together now that he'd found out the truth. She looked down at her hands as a tear fell from her cheek. She was surprised by this touch on her chin, pulling her face up to look at him.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have left last night like that. I was just..., I don't know what I was..., besides a jerk," he said.  
  
"No. I understand. You were hurt and you felt betrayed. That was the last thing I wanted. I do love you, Maurice," she said, a few more tears escaping.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" he asked her.  
  
"I wanted to. That day in your hospital room - when I passed out - that's when I found out. At first I wanted to get you feeling better and home so you weren't worrying about me. Then, I was going to tell you last night, but then I came home and saw you sitting there in front of those pictures," she said, looking back down at the floor and then back up to his eyes. "I'm so sorry I kept that from you. But, I'm not sorry that I fell in love with you. Maurice, you made me happier than I ever thought I could ever be and I ruined that because of the lies of Paul. I was torn between my loyalty to him and my love for you. And, because of that Paul almost killed you - and Faith. I know you can never forgive me for that. I understand. But, I'm sorry that I lost our child, because he or she would have been all I had left of us," she said, crying now.  
  
Bosco moved closer to her, tears escaping from his eyes as well.  
  
"Trisha. I can't pretend that I understand all of what happened, but in time I think I will be able to come to terms with it. I know that you were torn between whatever mind games Paul played on you and your feelings for me, but there's no doubt in my mind that you love me. I love you, too. And, I would have loved to have raised our baby with you. I'll grieve for it just as much as you will, but the doctors said there's no reason why we can't have another," he said, pausing to see her reaction and hoping that she understood that he wanted to be with her.  
  
She reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek, the words of what he'd just said sinking in. She looked up into his eyes, searching them to see if what she heard was really what he'd said.  
  
"We?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, I love you and I want to be with you. Will you marry me, Trisha Miller?" he asked.  
  
Trisha put a hand on the side of his face. "Oh, Maurice. I love you with all my heart. Are you sure?"  
  
"I'm sure. I've been thinking about it since last night and then all tonight while I was sitting here watching you. I love you and I think we belong together," he said.  
  
Trisha stood up and threw her arms around him, hugging him so tight that he could hardly breathe. "Whoa," he said, laughing.  
  
"I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" she asked, pulling away as she realized that she was probably hurting him.  
  
"No. I'm fine," he said, smiling down at her. "So, what's your answer? Will you be my wife?"  
  
"Yes, Maurice. Yes," she said as he brought his lips down on hers and kissed her tenderly.   
  
He helped her back into the bed and then he laid down next her. They held each other, grieved for what they'd lost, and talked quietly to each other as they planned their life together. Bosco fell asleep first and she watched him sleep again - no furrowing eyebrows this time - until she too fell asleep.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
It had been three weeks and Bosco and Faith were back to work. Trisha had moved into Bosco's apartment and they were planning their upcoming wedding. No charges were filed against Trisha.  
  
Now, Trisha sat next to Maurice's mother and brother, and Fred, Charlie and Emily Yokas, watching proudly as the two officers received their official promotion ceremony to Detectives.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The End. 


End file.
